Sudanese authorities have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out drone strikes targeting the governor’s home and several civilian sites in Blue Nile state.
Blue Nile Governor Ahmed al-Omda Badi said on Saturday that air defences intercepted the drones over the state capital, Damazin. He did not provide details of any casualties or damage.
The strikes “will not deter us from continuing our struggle and defending the homeland”, Badi said in a statement, adding that the authorities would continue efforts to regain control of territory held by what he described as “rebellion and aggression”.
The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment.
Army reports fighting
The Sudanese army separately said its forces had repelled attacks by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in Blue Nile state.
The army’s Fourth Infantry Division said its troops, supported by allied forces, engaged fighters from the two groups in the areas of Minza and Bashkarkad.
It said the operation had inflicted heavy losses in personnel and equipment, disrupted the groups’ movements and prevented them from advancing towards army positions.
Several vehicles and pieces of military equipment were destroyed and the attacking fighters were forced to withdraw under fire, the army said. It did not give casualty figures.
The RSF has not immediately responded to the army’s claims.
Blue Nile, in south-eastern Sudan, has seen an escalation in fighting in recent weeks as the RSF and SPLM-N have attacked positions in several parts of the state.
The SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, has fought the Sudanese army in parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile for years. It has recently aligned itself with the RSF in the wider conflict, although the two groups have distinct political and military structures.
Sudan has been at war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the army and the RSF over a dispute about the proposed integration of the paramilitary force into the regular armed forces.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.
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