KHARTOUM – Sudan’s army said it has made fresh gains in Blue Nile State near the Ethiopian border, intensifying an offensive aimed at recapturing the strategic town of Kurmuk and disrupting supply routes used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies.
Military sources said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recently secured the Al-Baraka area in Geissan district before advancing toward Kurmuk, a key border town that has been under the control of the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) since March. The army described the operation as part of a broader campaign to restore government control over Blue Nile State’s eastern border.
Kurmuk is one of the most strategically important towns in Blue Nile after the state capital, Ad-Damazin. Located on Sudan’s border with Ethiopia and close to South Sudan, it serves as a critical gateway for military movements, logistics and cross-border trade. Control of the town would strengthen the army’s grip on southeastern Sudan while limiting the RSF’s ability to reinforce its positions.
Sudanese authorities have repeatedly accused Ethiopia of allowing weapons, supplies and logistical support to reach the RSF-SPLM-N alliance through border areas. Addis Ababa has consistently denied the allegations, insisting it is not backing any party to the conflict.
The Blue Nile front has become increasingly significant in recent months as fighting has spread beyond the traditional battlefields of Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan. Military analysts say the army’s latest push is designed to isolate RSF-held positions by severing cross-border supply and communication lines while preventing further movement of fighters and equipment into Sudan.
The offensive also comes amid heightened tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia. Earlier this year, Khartoum accused armed groups operating from across the border of supporting attacks inside Sudan, while reports of cross-border military incidents raised concerns about a wider regional spillover. Ethiopia has rejected accusations that it is facilitating military operations against Sudan.
Sudan has been engulfed in civil war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced around 13 million and created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
There has been no immediate comment from the RSF on the army’s latest claims, and the reported battlefield developments could not be independently verified.
