RSF Pushes Into Geisan Near Ethiopian Border

Geisan, August 11, 2026 - Rapid Support Forces fighters seized large parts of Geisan in the Blue Nile region after launching an early morning assault with heavy artillery and drones, while the Sudanese army retained control of its main military base in the town. The attack was supported by fighters from the SPLM-N, with the heaviest fighting concentrated around the 13th Infantry Brigade headquarters.

RSF-aligned forces claimed full control of Geisan, but local authorities said army and allied units were still fighting on multiple fronts and army drone strikes had forced RSF units to withdraw from some newly captured positions. Videos circulated by RSF-aligned platforms showed fighters inside the town, including the main market, where local accounts described looting and vandalism.

Blue Nile regional authorities accused the attackers of using foreign mercenaries from Ethiopia and South Sudan. Geisan is strategically sensitive because it lies near the Ethiopian border. Humanitarian tracking data put the number of people displaced by the renewed fighting at about 2,500, adding pressure to a border region already exposed to conflict spillover and disrupted trade routes.