RSF advances on Kurmuk in Sudan's Blue Nile state near Ethiopia border

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces and allied fighters have advanced into the town of Kurmuk in Blue Nile state, according to military and government sources. The town lies near the border with Ethiopia and sits on a strategically important cross-border route linking Ethiopia with Blue Nile and the wider Nile Valley. The reported advance comes after days of attacks on the area and marks another shift in control in a part of Sudan that has changed hands before.

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Sources said the RSF and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North entered Kurmuk on Thursday as the army began to withdraw. An RSF statement said its coalition had inflicted heavy losses on army troops, forced them to pull back and seized weapons and ammunition. The local administration in Kurmuk said the town had been under intensive attack for three days, with drones and artillery shelling coming from what it described as the regional neighbourhood.

It also said the army had continued to defend the town and its public institutions. The army's reported withdrawal and repositioning outside Kurmuk suggests the town may now be under RSF control, although the full battlefield picture remains unclear. Kurmuk is significant because of its location on a route that connects eastern Sudan with the interior and with Ethiopia, making it important for movement, supply lines and local administration.

The town was previously seized by the RSF in March before the Sudanese army recaptured it last month, underlining how fluid front lines remain in Blue Nile state. The fighting is part of Sudan's wider war, which began in April 2023 after tensions escalated between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the regular military. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced or forced nearly 15 million to flee their homes, according to UN figures, local authorities and academic estimates.

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That broader war has repeatedly spread across regions, with control of towns, roads and border crossings often changing hands as both sides seek to secure supply routes and political leverage. Blue Nile state has long been a sensitive area because of its border position and its history of armed conflict. The involvement of the SPLM-N in the latest advance also points to the complex alliances that have shaped fighting in Sudan, where local armed groups and national forces have often operated alongside or against one another.

For residents, repeated attacks on Kurmuk raise concerns about access to services, the safety of public institutions and the risk of further displacement. What remains unclear is the current extent of RSF control inside Kurmuk and whether the army will attempt to retake the town again. It is also not yet clear how much damage the three days of drone and artillery attacks caused, or whether there were casualties among fighters or civilians.

The next developments to watch are any formal military statements, confirmation from local authorities and whether the fighting spreads further along the Ethiopia border corridor.

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