The Sudanese army has broken a nearly two-year siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the southern state capital of el-Obeid.

According to a media report, the breakthrough came hours after the RSF signed a political charter in Nairobi to establish a breakaway government in areas under its control.

The war has split the country, with the army controlling the north and east while the RSF holds most of the Darfur region in the west and parts of the south.

El-Obeid, a strategic hub connecting Khartoum to Darfur, is the latest army advance in recent weeks following the recapture of several parts of Khartoum from the RSF.

Both the army and the RSF have been accused of committing grave atrocities against civilians during the war, with their leaders being sanctioned by the US.