The Sudanese Army has captured a strategic rebel stronghold in the Blue Nile region following a large-scale military operation near the Ethiopian border.
According to military officials, the operation was launched on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, by the 13th Infantry Brigade of the Fourth Infantry Division in Geissan district. Government forces advanced beyond Abu Dugla and Ashambo, areas located approximately one kilometre from the Ethiopian border, before seizing control of Al-Bar, a key base belonging to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Joseph Touka.
The offensive comes amid escalating clashes in the border districts of Kurmuk and Geissan, where the Sudanese army is battling a coalition of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and SPLM-N fighters.
Military sources said government troops and allied forces would continue operations to clear the area up to the international border. The army reported that several rebel fighters were captured during the operation, while weapons and other military equipment were also seized.
The latest military push is aimed at preventing rebel advances towards Geissan and reclaiming the strategic border town of Kurmuk, which has been under the control of joint RSF and SPLM-N forces since March 2026.
Sudan has accused neighbouring Ethiopia of providing logistical support to the rebel alliance operating in the Blue Nile region, although no official response from Ethiopian authorities was cited. Kurmuk and Geissan are situated approximately 150 kilometres and 200 kilometres southeast of Ed Damazin respectively, with around 100 kilometres separating the two towns.
The Blue Nile border region has a long history of conflict, having been a major battleground during the 22-year civil war between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army led by the late John Garang before the signing of the 2005 peace agreement.
