The Sudanese army announced on March 28 that it had recaptured the town of Khor Hassan in Blue Nile state, southeastern Sudan, from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The town, located near the border with Ethiopia, had been under RSF control since March of the previous year with support from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
Blue Nile state has become a strategic flashpoint in Sudan’s civil war due to its geographic importance as a gateway to central Sudan. Control of this area provides a major advantage for any side seeking to push deeper into the interior. The state is also rich in natural resources, including gold.
According to a statement from the Sudanese army, its forces inflicted heavy losses on the RSF in both personnel and military equipment. The Sudan Tribune news site reported that the recapture of Khor Hassan is part of a broader strategy to retake the town of Kurmuk—a cross-border trade corridor and an area providing access to key infrastructure, including the Al-Roseires Dam.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hiba Morgan, reporting from Blue Nile state, described Kurmuk as a garrison town that the RSF had been using as a springboard to seize more territory. She also noted that the area provides the RSF with supply routes due to its position along the border.
Sudan has accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of backing the RSF, but both countries deny the allegations. The conflict erupted in April 2023 due to a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the national army, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), commander of the RSF. The war has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced over 12 million.
