Sudan Army Seizes Control of Key Blue Nile Territory from RSF

(MENAFN) The Sudanese army declared Saturday it had wrested control of the Al-Kili area in Blue Nile state from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking a significant battlefield gain in one of the conflict's most volatile regions.

In an official statement, the military confirmed the "liberation of Al-Kili in Blue Nile State after battles with the RSF militia and their allies in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N)."

The army elaborated that "forces from the fourth Infantry Division and supporting forces managed to liberate the Al-Kili area, located on the outskirts of the city of Al-Kurmuk in the southern sector, after heroic battles against the RSF militia and SPLM-N."

"Our forces inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment on the rebel militia (referring to the Rapid Support Forces), while the remaining fighters fled," the statement continued.

The military vowed to press forward, pledging operations would persist "until all areas of responsibility are cleared, the insurgency is defeated, the borders are secured, and security and stability are strengthened."

The RSF issued no immediate response to the announcement.

Deepening Humanitarian Toll
Blue Nile state has seen a sharp intensification of fighting in recent weeks, with thousands of civilians uprooted from homes across multiple towns and communities. The Sudanese army holds significant territory throughout the state, while the SPLM-N — a separate armed movement that has been fighting the government since 2011 — continues to press its longstanding demand for autonomy across the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

The wider war, now in its third year, erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the army and the RSF over the paramilitary force's proposed absorption into the national military. What began as an institutional dispute has since spiraled into one of the world's most severe humanitarian catastrophes — triggering widespread famine, killing tens of thousands, and forcing millions from their homes.

MENAFN10052026000045017169ID1111091734