SPLM-RSF alliance advances toward Blue Nile capital, army reinforces

September 11, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – An alliance between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) said on Friday it had captured several areas in the Blue Nile region, as the Sudanese army moved to reinforce positions in the country’s far southeast.

Fighting in Blue Nile flared in February, with the RSF and allied fighters loyal to SPLM-N commander Joseph Touka taking control of Kurmuk and Geissan along the Ethiopian border in March and August.

Late last month, the alliance said it had also seized key army garrisons at Bakori and Surkum.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the SPLM-N said its forces had taken full control of military posts and villages at Madal Abiqo, Beli Bong, and Kambarda in Kurmuk locality.

The group said it had also captured Dokan, Karn Karn, and Khor Al-Hassan in the same sector earlier this week.

The rebel group asserted that its forces were advancing toward the regional capital, Ed Damazin, after heavy fighting that it claimed caused significant casualties and material losses for the military.

The claims could not be independently verified.

Video released by the SPLM-N showed Touka addressing fighters on the frontline and urging them to press their offensive toward Ed Damazin.

The Sudanese armed forces said the commander of the 4th Infantry Division, Major General Ismail al-Tayeb, visited frontline positions at Balang in the southern sector to assess readiness and security.

An army statement said Tayeb reviewed defensive deployments and operational plans, expressing confidence that troops would repel any advances and protect civilians.

Blue Nile is strategically vital, bordering Ethiopia and South Sudan and hosting the Roseires Dam, Sudan’s second-largest hydroelectric facility.