Clashes Intensify in Sudan’s Blue Nile as Army and RSF Alliance Trade Blows

Ed Damazin, April 25, 2026 - Fighting has escalated in Sudan’s Blue Nile region as the army and an alliance of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu continue to exchange heavy attacks amid conflicting claims of territorial control. The RSF and its allied forces launched a major offensive in the southeastern part of the region last month, capturing the strategic town of Kurmuk along with several surrounding areas, according to local military reports. In a statement, the army’s 4th Infantry Division in Ed Damazin said its forces, together with allied units, repelled an RSF-led assault on the Sali area. The army claimed it destroyed 36 combat vehicles, captured two others, and inflicted casualties on attacking forces. However, RSF representatives said their allied troops had seized control of the strategic Al-Kaili area after intense clashes with government forces. They described the development as a significant shift in the balance of power in the region and part of a broader effort to weaken military control. Pro-RSF channels circulated video footage appearing to show fighters inside a military installation in Blue Nile State, though the authenticity of the material could not be independently verified. The renewed fighting, combined with increased drone activity in the western and southern parts of the region, has worsened an already fragile humanitarian situation. Aid monitors report that thousands of civilians have been displaced, with many fleeing toward the regional capital, Ed Damazin, in search of safety and basic services.