The RSF and allied SPLM‑N advanced into Kurmuk on the Sudan–Ethiopia border as Sudanese army units withdrew and repositioned, officials and media reported. Local administrators said Kurmuk endured three days of intense drone and artillery attacks; the RSF claimed it inflicted heavy losses and seized weapons. The army also reported repelling an RSF assault on Jabra al‑Sheikh involving over 250 combat vehicles. The conflict, ongoing since April 2023, has produced widespread death, displacement and a major humanitarian emergency.
RSF and SPLM‑N Advance Into Strategic Kurmuk Border Town As Army Withdraws
Sudan army says RSF advance on key town bordering Ethiopia
Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM‑N) pushed into Kurmuk, a strategically placed town on the Sudan–Ethiopia border, military and government sources told Al Jazeera.
Sources said the RSF and SPLM‑N entered Kurmuk in Blue Nile State on Thursday as Sudanese army units began to withdraw and reposition outside the town. An RSF statement claimed its coalition inflicted heavy losses on army units, forced a withdrawal and captured weapons and ammunition.
Local administrators in Kurmuk later reported the town had endured intense attacks over the previous three days, including drone strikes and artillery shelling they said originated from "the regional neighbourhood." The local authorities added that the Sudanese army continued to resist the strikes "with steadfastness and bravery" to defend civilians and public institutions.
Kurmuk's Strategic Role
Located on a key cross‑border route linking Ethiopia with Blue Nile and the wider Nile Valley, Kurmuk's control has strategic value for movement of fighters and supplies between regions.
The RSF first seized Kurmuk in March; government forces retook it in a counter‑offensive last month. Al Jazeera correspondent Almigdad Alruhaid in Khartoum, citing military and government sources, reported that "the RSF advanced into the town with the army withdrawing and repositioning outside."
Other Fronts: Jabra al‑Sheikh and Drone Campaign
Elsewhere, the army said it repelled an RSF assault on Jabra al‑Sheikh in North Kordofan. Military sources told Al Jazeera the paramilitary attacked using heavy artillery and drones; several RSF fighters were captured and dozens killed, the sources said. An army statement added the assault involved more than 250 combat vehicles. Jabra al‑Sheikh is a vital transport hub whose capture could threaten el‑Obeid, the North Kordofan capital, and Omdurman near Khartoum.
The renewed ground assaults followed a far‑reaching RSF drone campaign the previous day that targeted five army‑held cities hundreds of kilometres apart. Rights group Emergency Lawyers said Wednesday's strikes killed two people in el‑Obeid and paralysed the city's market.
Humanitarian Toll
The conflict that began in April 2023 over plans to integrate the RSF into the regular armed forces has devastated large parts of Sudan. Reported casualty figures vary: many sources describe "tens of thousands" killed, while some aid agencies and local monitors estimate higher death tolls; one group cited figures above 200,000. Nearly 15 million people have been displaced or forced from their homes, according to UN figures, local authorities and academic estimates. Humanitarian agencies warn the crisis has produced one of the world's largest hunger and displacement emergencies.
Note: Casualty figures are disputed and vary by source. Where possible the article attributes claims to the reporting parties (RSF, Sudanese army, local administrators, rights groups and UN agencies).
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