Sudanese fleeing attacks by paramilitary RSF in Blue Nile region, aid agency says

October 5, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – Hundreds of residents have fled their homes in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile region following fresh assaults by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, local authorities and an aid agency said on Monday.

The regional Humanitarian Aid Commission reported a wave of mass displacement from the localities of Jabal Al-Nimr and Minza after both areas came under fire from the RSF.

Most civilians headed toward the town of Al-Azaza and a settlement known as Village 6 after heavy clashes broke out, prompting concerns over civilian protection and shortages of essential supplies.

The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment.

The reported exodus follows a statement on Saturday by the Sudanese military saying it had repelled a joint assault by the RSF and an allied faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North against Minza and nearby Bashkarkad, close to the border with Ethiopia.

Minza, located in the Wad Al-Mahi district east of the Roseires Dam, holds strategic importance as a supply and defensive position for the regular army in southeastern Sudan.

Fighting has escalated across Blue Nile throughout this year. The military said it clawed back several strategic border positions, including Al-Karmak and Geissan, following heavy clashes in July.

The latest wave adds to an already acute humanitarian crisis. On September 26, roughly 7,000 people—around 1,400 families—fled Minza, Jabal Al-Nimr, and Manshlong amid worsening insecurity, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Major General Ismail Al-Tayeb Hussein, commander of the army’s 4th Infantry Division, visited Bilgoh and Wad Al-Mahi on Monday to review troop deployments along the eastern axis, the military said.

Hussein dismissed reports of an imminent paramilitary breakthrough, saying government forces remained on high alert and held full control over the sector.