Sudanese military forces liberated 500 kilometers of territory inside the country during a recent operation. They are now about ten kilometers away from a strategic junction in the west of the country. At the same time, the ranks of the UAE-backed mercenary forces are collapsing, forcing them to retreat. Securing this junction would effectively cripple the mercenaries' logistical access between the northern and southern sectors of the territory they now hold. A development that is very likely to lead to further collapses in their ranks.