Sudanese armed forces have launched a large-scale clearing operation in the Geissan district of the Blue Nile region, capturing a crucial rebel stronghold near the Ethiopian border, military officials announced.
The offensive, initiated on Tuesday, was led by the 13th Infantry Brigade of the Fourth Infantry Division. It specifically targeted areas around Abu Dugla and Ashambo, located just one kilometer from the international border. Government forces successfully seized control of the Al-Bar area, which serves as a major base for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Joseph Touka.
Battles have escalated significantly within the strategically vital border districts of Kurmuk and Geissan, where the Sudanese army is actively combating a coalition formed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the SPLM-N. Amid these rising tensions, the Sudanese government has accused neighboring Ethiopia of providing logistical support to the rebel alliance within the Blue Nile region.
Military sources told the Sudan Tribune that regular army troops and allied forces are determined to continue pursuing the rebels, with the ultimate goal of completely clearing the entire zone up to the international border with Ethiopia. The military statement added that the operation resulted in the capture of several rebel fighters, alongside the seizure of a substantial cache of weapons and military equipment.
The core objective of this military push is to halt rebel advancements toward Geissan and to recapture the strategic border town of Kurmuk, which has been under the joint control of RSF and SPLM-N forces since March. Kurmuk and Geissan are situated approximately 150 kilometers and 200 kilometers southeast of Ed Damazin, respectively. A distance of about 100 kilometers separates these two border towns from one another.
The region currently engulfed in conflict shares a long history of warfare. Prior to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, this very area served as a primary battleground for 22 years during the bloody civil war fought between the Khartoum government and the late John Garang’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
Political analysts warn that this latest military offensive could further complicate Sudan’s internal crisis and potentially strain diplomatic relations with its neighboring countries.
