Sudan army gains ground in Sennar, Blue Nile, White Nile states
March 5, 2025 (EL DALI, AL MAZMUM) – The Sudanese army said on Wednesday it had captured the last significant stronghold of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sennar State and made advances in areas of Blue Nile and White Nile states bordering South Sudan.
In November, The army retook parts of Sennar state, southeast of Khartoum, including the state capital Sinjah. This pushed RSF fighters to withdraw towards El Dali and El Mazmum locality in Sennar and to villages in Blue Nile and Al-Jabalain in White Nile state.
Field commanders in the “Lions’ Den” unit, part of the General Intelligence Service, said the army took control of El Dali and Al Mazmum locality, in southern Sennar, after heavy fighting with the RSF.
The locality is considered the last significant RSF stronghold in Sennar.
Pro-army platforms broadcast video clips showing soldiers deployed in El Dali’s main market, the police and locality headquarters.
Army spokesperson Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah said that army units in Blue Nile, White Nile, and Sennar, in a coordinated operation, had destroyed “remnants of the Janjaweed” in El Dali, Al Mazmum, Al-Jafrat, Al-Melissa, Guli, Abu Arif, Al-Qurbein, Roro, and Al-Tabun, retaking them “by force.”
Seizing Al Dali and Al Mazmum, on the porous border with South Sudan, would allow the Sudanese army to block the flow of mercenaries through the area and preempt any joint military action by the RSF and SPLM-N al-Hilu from the Blue Nile state.
In White Nile State, the army’s “Mobile Force” said soldiers of the 18th Infantry Division had seized control of Al-Tabun, Al-Shirak, Gharbal, Kamshash, and Khor Al-Ba’ashim, bordering South Sudan.
These areas had previously been attacked by the RSF, with reported widespread abuses against civilians, including killings, looting, and displacement of people who fled to Al-Jabalain.
The 4th Infantry Division in the Blue Nile state said its forces had captured the towns of Roro and Guli in the Al-Tadamon locality, west of the Blue Nile state.
The RSF has recently been active across large parts of the Blue Nile state, reportedly allying with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu to control villages in Baw and Al-Tadamon localities, forcing thousands to flee towards Ed Damazin.