KHARTOUM, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Monday they had taken full control of the oil-producing Heglig area in South Kordofan after army troops withdrew.

In a statement on Telegram, the paramilitary group called the capture a "pivotal" development and promised to protect the site's infrastructure and technical staff.

While the Sudanese army has not officially commented, a military source confirmed to Xinhua that the unit stationed in Heglig had retreated. An eyewitness reported that civilian workers were evacuated as safety shutdowns were initiated at the facility.

Heglig sits in the Muglad Basin and hosts some of Sudan's most important oil fields. It contains roughly 75 wells and key infrastructure, including pipelines, tanks, and processing stations. It is also a main hub for crude pumped from South Sudan to Port Sudan for export.

Operations at the field have been disrupted repeatedly since the Sudanese conflict erupted in April 2023, with RSF drone strikes damaging facilities and killing workers. In November 2025, drone attacks forced the government to shut the field and reduce its capacity.

Before the war, Heglig produced about 40,000 barrels of oil per day and processed some 130,000 barrels per day of South Sudanese crude, according to government data.

The conflict between the army and the RSF has since killed thousands and displaced millions across Sudan and beyond its borders.