General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF) faced a major setback in Blue Nile State after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) repelled an offensive on December 28 aimed at retaking territory in northern Tadamon Locality, near the border with Sennar State.
The RSF ambushed the SAF assault launched from Guli, inflicting heavy casualties and scattering SAF troops, according to local sources and videos circulating online. Footage showed SAF soldiers fleeing through farmland as RSF fighters in pickups pursued them, capturing weapons and ammunition in the process.
The RSF’s presence in Blue Nile has expanded since November 2024, after retreating southward from Sennar State. The Sudanese group now controls key areas in northern Blue Nile, including Roro, Gariewa, and Gereben. Efforts by SAF to reclaim these strategic areas, critical for securing the state capital Damazin, have been unsuccessful.
While SAF has bolstered its forces with militants from the SPLM/A-North faction led by Malik Agar, analysts note that these militants lack the combat experience of the RSF, whose tactics are honed from years of desert warfare in Darfur.
The conflict in Blue Nile, previously considered a relatively secure region, has fueled fears of further RSF advances toward Damazin, where SAF’s 4th Infantry Division is headquartered.
In a December 10 attack on Bout, the capital of Tadamon Locality, RSF forces were repelled by SAF’s 15th Infantry Brigade. However, recent clashes highlight the RSF’s intent to maintain pressure on SAF units already stretched thin by a broader offensive to capture Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazira State.
The escalating violence in Blue Nile and beyond reflects the deepening complexities of Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in 2023 and has left millions displaced and critical infrastructure devastated.
