Sudanese Army Regains Kurmuk and Al-Karamk in Blue Nile After Fighting Rapid Support Forces

The Sudanese army announced it had regained the city of Kurmuk in Blue Nile State after fierce battles with the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, allied with them.

The army said its forces established control over Kurmuk after the Rapid Support Forces and allied troops suffered heavy losses in lives and equipment, with their remnants fleeing and leaving behind their weapons and vehicles.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies

A separate report said the Sudanese army announced it had gained control of the city of al-Karamk in Blue Nile State following clashes with the Rapid Support Forces, and that it tightened its control over the city.

That report added that al-Karamk’s strategic importance stems from its proximity to the border with Ethiopia and that controlling the city would strengthen military supply lines in Blue Nile State and affect the balance of power on the ground.

The same source said the next phase would focus on protecting civilians, securing essential services, and paving the way for a return to normal life in the area.

The Sudanese army said its priorities in the coming phase were protecting civilians in Kurmuk, restoring services, and creating conditions for a return to normal life, while it confirmed its operations against the Rapid Support Forces and allied forces would continue until it established control over the entire country.

The report also stated that no immediate comment was issued by the Rapid Support Forces or the Sudan People's Liberation Movement regarding the army's control of the city of Kurmuk.

Al-Jazeera Net

In a separate account, Mohamed Ibrahim, a correspondent for Al-Cairo News Channel from Port Sudan, reported that the Sudanese army regained control of the Karomk province in Blue Nile State after clashes with the Rapid Support Forces militia and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement – Joseph Touka's wing.

Ibrahim said during a live interview with presenter Khaled Ashour that the army had tightened its grip on Karomk and that field sources confirmed continued advance and recapture of sites held by the Rapid Support Forces.

He added that Sudanese forces were conducting wide-scale sweeps inside the region to secure it, suggesting Blue Nile State would be free of Rapid Support Forces elements and the allied Sudan People's Movement if progress continued.

Military sources told Al-Sharq on Wednesday that the Sudanese army extended its control over the Karomk district in Blue Nile State, located on the border with Ethiopia, after intensive fighting against the Rapid Support Forces.

Those sources said government forces entered the city of Karomk after sustained ground advances, consolidated control over main sites inside the province, and continued sweep operations after the Rapid Support Forces withdrew from the city.

Al-Sharq reported that Karomk’s recapture was a battlefield gain because it provides control over a prominent crossing and border areas in eastern Sudan, and it said Karomk lies about 200 kilometers from Damazin, the state capital.

Another report said the governor of Al-Karamk, Eid Al-Aty Mohammed Al-Faki, confirmed that the operation to retake the city had been fully completed after a battle lasting more than six hours, and that armed forces imposed control over the city and its surroundings.

That governor said the next phase would include a plan to rehabilitate service facilities and infrastructure damaged during the fighting and efforts to restart essential services including health, education, water, and electricity sectors.