Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan inspected military readiness in Damazin on Wednesday, amid intensifying clashes in Blue Nile State between the army and an alliance of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North near the Ethiopian border.
The military tour comes as fighting escalates across southeastern Sudan, marked by territorial gains from the paramilitary alliance and a significant military buildup across the border. According to an army statement cited by Anadolu News Agency, al-Burhan visited the capital of Blue Nile State to inspect the army’s 4th Infantry Division, review operational readiness, and receive briefings on the security situation.
During his visit to Damazin, al-Burhan stressed the need to raise levels of preparedness and vigilance and strengthen discipline and combat readiness
, according to the official statement. He also called for continuing to carry out missions in accordance with military plans and directives
while touring a military hospital to check on wounded soldiers.
Border Build-Up and Alleged Foreign Supply Lines
The intensification of combat in Blue Nile State coincides with satellite data pointing to substantial military preparations just across the border. In a Human Security Alert issued on August 28, the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab reported a sharp increase in military vehicles and logistical infrastructure at an Ethiopian National Defense Forces base in Asosa.
Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab identified roughly 100 newly present light technical vehicles at the base between August 23 and August 28, with about five bearing mounted weapons and another grouping assessed as armored personnel carriers. Additional tracking revealed the arrival of cargo containers, transport trucks, and car transporters.
Parallel political accusations have added diplomatic friction to the regional conflict.
Territorial Shifts and Multi-Front Fighting
On the ground, control of strategic towns near the border remains contested. Military and government sources reported that the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North entered the border town of Kurmuk, with the Sudanese army withdrawing and repositioning outside. An RSF statement claimed the coalition inflicted heavy losses on army troops and seized weapons and ammunition.
Local administration officials in Kurmuk stated that the town endured three days of intensive drone and artillery attacks originating from the regional neighborhood.
The widening conflict has also triggered heavy fighting far from the southeastern border. In North Kordofan, the army repelled an assault on Jabra al-Sheikh involving more than 250 combat vehicles, while multiple drones struck al-Obeid, killing two people and paralyzing local markets. Witnesses in Khartoum and Atbara also reported drone strikes, marking the first such attacks in those cities since May amid a broader war that the United Nations estimates has displaced millions and killed tens of thousands since April 2023.
Political Track and Peace Initiatives
Addressing the nation on the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, al-Burhan maintained that the military remains open to finding an end to the hostilities. He stated that the army’s determination to defeat the Rapid Support Forces does not mean turning a blind eye to any genuine initiative for peace
according to the state news agency SUNA.
Al-Burhan outlined clear preconditions for a settlement, insisting that the paramilitary group must first lay down its weapons, gather in designated areas, and allow displaced civilians to return home before any political reintegration is considered. On the domestic political track, he noted that he has begun dialogue with national groups to form a legislative council and welcomed an independent initiative aimed at preparing a comprehensive national dialogue.
