Sudan: Fighting intensifies in North Kordofan and Blue Nile

On August 13, the army claimed to have repelled an RSF attack in Jabra al-Cheikh, north of El-Obeid, according to military sources cited by Anadolu Agency. This account could not be independently verified in an area where communications remain difficult.

In Blue Nile, the fighting has concentrated around Qeissan, near the Ethiopian border. About 2,500 people fled the area after hostilities resumed on August 11, according to data from the International Organization for Migration reported by the Associated Press.

The situation remains fluid around Kurmuk, another border town. The army announced it had regained control, while the RSF and their allies claimed advancements in the same area just days earlier. The Associated Press stated it could not confirm these conflicting announcements.

El-Obeid at the center of military issues

In North Kordofan, the RSF are seeking to maintain pressure around El-Obeid, a road junction connecting the center of the country to Darfur. The United Nations had already warned in June about the risk of a new escalation around this city and its consequences for civilians.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the RSF of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, known as “Hemedti,” the front lines have shifted towards Kordofan and Blue Nile. Both sides regularly disseminate casualty figures and territorial gains that cannot be independently verified.

The conflict has forced around 13 million people to leave their homes, according to estimates from humanitarian agencies cited by the Associated Press. Operations around El-Obeid and the Ethiopian border now threaten routes used for aid delivery and population movement.