Sudan sends military reinforcements to Blue Nile state as hundreds displaced in South Kordofan

The Sudanese army announced Tuesday the arrival of the first batch of joint forces from allied armed groups to Blue Nile state, as the UN migration agency said 730 people were displaced from five villages in South Kordofan due to worsening security conditions, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, the army said Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Tayeb, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, received the joint forces, which arrived to take part in military operations against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Blue Nile state in southeastern Sudan.

The army said the arrival of the forces represents additional support for troops deployed in the area, amid escalating clashes with the RSF and its allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM–N) in the state.

Tayeb said the forces were ready to continue operations, adding that the RSF and its allies were “receiving successive blows” on the battlefronts.

Blue Nile state has witnessed military escalation over the past two days after attacks by the RSF and SPLM–N on several areas in the state.

READ: Nearly 20,000 people displaced by escalating fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile: Local group

On Saturday, the Sudanese army announced the deployment of an elite brigade affiliated with the General Intelligence Service to boost military operations in the Bukkori axis in Blue Nile state.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday that 730 people were displaced from five villages in Al-Abbasiya locality in South Kordofan state due to deteriorating security conditions.

The UN agency said its field teams estimated that the displacement took place on Aug. 30 from the villages of Umm Lawta, Daqaq Four, Zarami, Al-Lubana and Al-Sisban.

The affected families fled to locations inside Al-Abbasiya locality, while others moved to Umm Rawaba locality in North Kordofan state, the agency said.

“The situation remains tense and volatile,” the IOM added, saying it was closely monitoring developments.

Sudan has been gripped by war between the army and the RSF since April 2023, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.

READ: Food shortages, collapsing services worsen conditions in Sudan’s El Obeid