Blue Nile Fighting Forces Civilian Flight Near Ethiopian Border

Geissan, August 16, 2026 - Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces forced thousands of civilians to flee parts of southeastern Blue Nile State, worsening insecurity near the Ethiopian border.

The displacement from eastern areas of Geissan locality followed intense clashes after the RSF-aligned Tasis Coalition said its forces had seized the strategic town of Geissan. Civilians from Adasi and nearby villages crossed by small boats toward Kambal in Wad al-Mahi locality during heavy rains, strong winds, and rising floodwaters.

The Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative warned that continuing military operations during severe weather posed a direct threat to civilians. It called for an immediate ceasefire and safe humanitarian corridors for aid access to stranded populations.

The fighting escalated in August as the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, reported advances in Geissan and the border town of Kurmuk.

The clashes point to the war's expansion into strategically sensitive border terrain, raising risks for humanitarian access, local trade routes, and Sudan's already fragile relations with neighboring states.