The Sudanese army successfully repelled an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and an allied rebel group in eastern Blue Nile state, near the border with Ethiopia, on Saturday. The army's 4th Infantry Division engaged RSF forces and fighters from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in the areas of Minza and Bashkarkad, inflicting heavy losses and destroying several vehicles and pieces of military equipment. The attackers were forced to retreat under fire.
The clashes occurred in Minza, a strategic military position east of the Roseires Dam in southeastern Sudan, which is a critical location for the Sudanese army. The RSF and SPLM-N faction led by Joseph Tuka have carried out a series of attacks on army positions in Blue Nile since the beginning of the year, leading to intensified fighting in the region. The army had recaptured several positions seized by the alliance in July and later retook the towns of Kurmuk and Geissan near the Ethiopian border.
The latest clashes have resulted in fresh displacement, with the International Organization for Migration reporting that about 7,000 people, or 1,400 families, had fled Minza, Jabal Nimr, and Manshalang on 26 September amid deteriorating security. The Sudan Doctors Network also reported that RSF drone attacks on residential neighbourhoods in Dilling, South Kordofan state, on Friday killed four civilians, including a child and a woman, and wounded several others.
The Sudan Doctors Network accused the RSF of carrying out the execution of more than 25 civilians in the Umm Badr area of North Kordofan, with video footage circulating online appearing to show RSF members killing civilians. The network described the killings as extrajudicial executions and called for an independent and transparent investigation by the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and other accountability mechanisms.
The reports come as fighting continues across Sudan, where the army and RSF have been locked in war since April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced or forced to flee around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates. The conflict has also led to a wider escalation of drone attacks on civilian areas in Sudan.
On 1 October, the Sudan Doctors Network reported that an RSF drone strike on a University of Kordofan dormitory in El Obeid, North Kordofan, killed five civilians and wounded 47 others. The Sudanese authorities had accused the RSF of launching drone strikes against several targets in Ed Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state, including the residence of Governor Ahmed Al-Omda Badi.
The Sudanese army's repelling of the RSF and allied rebel group attack near the Ethiopian border is a significant development in the ongoing conflict. The international community has called for restraint and a peaceful resolution to the conflict, with the African Union and other regional organizations working to address the crisis.
Key points
- The Sudanese army repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces and an allied rebel group in eastern Blue Nile state.
- The conflict has resulted in significant displacement, with around 7,000 people fleeing their homes on 26 September.
- The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced or forced to flee around 13 million.
