What's happened
Warfare in Blue Nile State has escalated as RSF fighters and allied SPLM-N forces seize Kurmuk while the army withdraws. Drones and artillery have battered the town, causing new displacements as the conflict widens along border routes with Ethiopia.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- The capture of Kurmuk reaffirms the RSF’s strategy of leveraging cross-border routes to pressure SAF strongholds. This shift could disrupt supply lines toward El-Damazin and further threaten regional stability.
- The army’s recapture efforts and continued drone campaigns suggest a two-front dynamic, with Blue Nile and Kordofan fronts shaping battlefield momentum.
- Readers should watch for humanitarian spillovers: renewed displacement, risk to civilians, and intensified clashes around key towns like Jabra al-Sheikh and Geissan.
- Forecast: if current momentum holds, expect continued back-and-forth control in Blue Nile and escalation of drone warfare, with international observers pressuring for humanitarian access.
How we got here
The Blue Nile region remains a strategic battleground in Sudan's war since 2023, with Kurmuk changing hands earlier in the conflict. The RSF's push in Blue Nile follows a broader pattern of ground offensives and drone strikes aimed at pressuring SAF positions near important cross-border corridors and infrastructure.
Our analysis
Al Jazeera and All Africa report on Kurmuk; New Arab and The New Arab provide context on Kordofan and Darfur fronts; AFP and other agencies document casualties and displacements.
Go deeper
- What is driving the RSF’s renewed push in Blue Nile?
- How is the SAF responding to RSF advances on multiple fronts?
- What humanitarian aid options are available to affected communities?
More on these topics
-
Khartoum - Capital of Sudan
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan, the sixth-largest in Africa, the second-largest in North Africa, and the fourth-largest in the Arab world.
-
Sudan - Country in North Africa
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North-East Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southe
-
Ethiopia - Country in East Africa
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west and Sudan to
-
United Nations - Intergovernmental organization
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
-
Darfur
Darfur is a region of western Sudan. Dār is an Arabic word meaning "home [of]" – the region was named Dardaju while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë c. 350 AD, and it was renamed Dartunjur when the Tunjur ruled the area.
-
South Sudan - Country in North Africa
South Sudan, officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa. It is bordered to the east by Ethiopia, to the north by Sudan, to the west by the Central African Republic, to the south-west by Democratic Repub
-
Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu - Sudanese Politician
Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu is a Sudanese politician and the current chairperson of the Sudan People's Liberation Army - SPLA-North.
-
Sudanese Armed Forces - Military
The Sudanese Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. During the 39-month transition to democracy that started in September 2019, the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration defines the Supreme Commander of the Sudanese Arme
-
Omdurman - City in Sudan
Omdurman (Arabic: أُمّ دُرمان, romanized: Umm Durmān) is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The city acts as an important road hub, with the Nile boosting transportation even further.
-
Agence France-Presse - Press company
Agence France-Presse is an international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
-
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan - Chairman of the Transitional Military Council
Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan is a Sudanese politician and Sudanese Army general who is currently serving as Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, the country's collective transitional head of state.
-
Mohamed Hamdan Daglo - Military personnel
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to as Hemetti, Hemedti, Hemeti or Hemitte, is a Janjaweed from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, who was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état.
-
Tigray Region - Regional state of Ethiopia
The Tigray Region (or simply Tigray; officially the Tigray National Regional State) is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray is the fifth-largest by area, the fourth-most populous, and the fifth-most densely populated of the 14 regional states. Tigray is bordered by Eritrea to the north, the Amhara Region to the south, Sudan to the west, and Afar Region to the east . Tigray's official language is Tigrinya, the same language found in Eritrea. The Tigray region had an estimated pre-Tigray war population of 7,070,260. The majority of the population (c. 80%) are farmers, contributing 46% to the regional gross domestic product (2009). The highlands have the highest population density, especially in eastern and central Tigray. The much less densely populated lowlands comprise 48% of Tigray's area. Although the percentage of Muslims in Tigray as of 2007 was approximately 4%, it has been historically Islam's doorway to the region and to Africa at large. Approximately 95.6% of Tigrayans are Orthodox Christian. The government of Tigray consists of the executive branch...
-
Kordofan - Geographic region of Sudan
Kordofan is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kordofan, South Kordofan and West Kordofan.
-
North Kordofan - State of Sudan
North Kordofan is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 185,302 km² and an estimated population of 2,920,890. El-Obeid is the capital of the state. North Kordofan is generally arid and desert.
-
El-Obeid - City and capital of North Kurdufan, Sudan
El-Obeid (Arabic: الأُبَيِّض, romanized: al-ʔubayyiḍ, lit. 'the white' ), also romanized as Al-Ubayyid, is the capital of the state of North Kordofan, in Sudan. It's located within the Sheikan locality and under the former administrative structure within Sheikan District.
-
South Kordofan - State of Sudan
South Kordofan is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 158,355 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 people. Kaduqli is the capital of the state. It is centered on the Nuba Hills.
-
United Arab Emirates - Country in the Middle East
The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a sovereign state in Western Asia at the northeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south and west, as well as sharing m