KHARTOUM — The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) say they have captured a key border town in Blue Nile State, in a renewed offensive aimed at weakening the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and disrupting supply lines running through the country’s eastern frontier with Ethiopia.
Military sources said government troops entered the town after days of heavy clashes with RSF units and allied fighters. The operation, described by the army as “tactically decisive,” is part of a wider campaign to regain control of strategic areas along border corridors believed to be used for weapons and fuel movement.
The captured town, located near the Ethiopia–Sudan border, has long been considered a logistical gateway connecting remote conflict zones with cross-border routes. Control of the area is seen as critical for both sides in the ongoing war, which has fragmented large parts of Sudan since April 2023.
Residents and local activists reported intense shelling and ground fighting in the lead-up to the takeover, with many civilians fleeing toward safer rural areas. Humanitarian access remains limited, and communication lines from the region are reportedly disrupted, making independent verification difficult.
The RSF has not issued a detailed response to the latest claims, but in previous statements it has rejected similar announcements by the army, accusing SAF of exaggerating battlefield gains for political and diplomatic leverage.
Analysts say the advance could strengthen the army’s position in Blue Nile State and increase pressure on RSF supply routes that extend toward Ethiopia and South Sudan. However, they caution that control over rural towns in Sudan’s conflict zones often remains fluid, with areas changing hands multiple times during ongoing offensives.
The fighting forms part of a broader and increasingly complex war that has drawn in regional dynamics, displaced millions, and raised fears of prolonged instability across the Horn of Africa.
