Sudan says RSF, SPLM-N attack Blue Nile region from South Sudan

January 25, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) launched a large-scale attack on Sunday targeting areas in Sudan’s Blue Nile region from South Sudanese territory, Sudanese government sources said.

The attack targeted Al-Sillik, Milkan and other locations in Bau County, the sources said, adding that the army’s 4th Infantry Division was engaged in fierce battles to repel what officials described as “foreign aggression.”

A senior government official accused South Sudan of allowing its territory to be used for training and receiving military equipment for the attacking forces. Widespread civilian displacement toward safer areas within Bau has occurred, the official said.

The Blue Nile region in south-eastern Sudan has faced increasing military risks amid mobilizations by the RSF and SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, in border areas shared with South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Sudan has previously accused the United Arab Emirates of establishing military bases near its borders with South Sudan and Ethiopia, alleging that the UAE supports the RSF as part of plans to open a new front in the Blue Nile region.

Bau County lies between Ed Damazin to the north and Kurmuk to the south, bordering South Sudan. It is home to the Ingessana, Berta and Hamaj tribes, among others.

Sudan’s army seized control of Milkan and Al-Sillik in April, defeating RSF forces that had occupied the sites following their defeat in neighbouring Sennar State. Fighting in western Blue Nile has displaced approximately 100,000 people toward Ed Damazin, according to the regional government.