Sudan army retakes strategic Blue Nile garrison from RSF

KHARTOUM – Sudan’s army said on Friday its forces had recaptured a strategic military garrison in the southern Blue Nile State, marking a significant reversal of recent gains by paramilitary forces near the Ethiopian border.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in a statement seen by Sudans Post that the 4th Infantry Division had “liberated” Al-Keili, a town positioned along a vital axis between the regional capital Damazin and the border town of Kurmuk.

The area had fallen to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters in late April following a collapse of government defensive lines.

“Forces of the 4th Infantry Division and supporting units succeeded in liberating the Al-Keili area following heroic battles against the terrorist Rapid Support Forces militia and the rebel forces of Joseph Tuka,” the military said in an official statement.

The army added that its forces inflicted heavy losses on the “rebel militia” in both personnel and equipment, while remaining fighters fled.

A local security source said the RSF units retreated south in the direction of Kurmuk and were seen crossing the border into Ethiopia to escape the advancing government troops north of Kurmuk.

The RSF did not immediately issue a statement regarding the loss of the garrison or the army’s claims.

Videos geolocated by Sudans Post showed Sudanese soldiers inside Al-Keili, including at a local medical facility, following the operation. Other footage showed Blue Nile regional governor Ahmed Al-Omda Badi alongside military commanders informing the public that the town had been cleared of the RSF and allied fighters.

The recapture of Al-Keili suggests the military is attempting to stabilize a front that has grown increasingly volatile since the RSF and allied elements of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) captured Kurmuk on March 23.

Security analysts say the RSF has sought to open a major front in the southeast to stretch the army’s resources as fighting continues in the western Kordofan region and the capital, Khartoum.

By opening an active theater near the Ethiopian frontier, RSF commanders may be seeking to thin army deployments elsewhere while creating a second route toward central Sudan from the east.

However, the military has moved significant reinforcements into the Damazin–Dindiro corridor in recent weeks.

Observations by Sudans Post highlighted an increase in logistical movements, with convoys carrying troops and supplies toward the southern frontlines to prevent further advances into the agricultural heartlands of Al Jazira.

The military command stated that operations would continue until “all areas of responsibility are cleared, the rebellion defeated, the borders secured, and security and stability restored.”