Khor Hassan, Blue Nile State - The Sudanese army declared yesterday that it has retaken the town of Khor Hassan, a significant development in the protracted conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Army officials claim the operation inflicted "heavy losses" on RSF fighters and their equipment. The town, located in the southeastern Blue Nile state, has been a flashpoint in the civil war that has now dragged on for over three years.
The significance of Khor Hassan lies in its strategic position near the Ethiopian border, a region that has seen shifting control between the warring factions. Reporting from the area, Al Jazeera described Khor Hassan as a garrison town previously used by the RSF as a staging ground for further territorial advances.
A Contested Prize
The recapture by the Sudanese army follows a period where the RSF, in conjunction with allied forces from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), had asserted control over Khor Hassan. Multiple reports from March 2026 indicated that the RSF had, along with its allies, "fully liberated" the town. These earlier reports highlighted the town's strategic importance, not just for its junction linking Sudan with Ethiopia and South Sudan, but also for its proximity to crucial infrastructure like the Roseires Dam. Controlling Khor Hassan, analysts noted at the time, meant commanding main corridors connecting Blue Nile State with Sennar State.
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The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, has seen the Blue Nile region emerge as a critical battleground due to its strategic and economic weight. Earlier claims of RSF advances into the Blue Nile state via Ethiopia had surfaced as far back as February 2026, with Sudanese officials suggesting such movements.
"Elite troops from the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have succeeded in fully liberating the strategic town of Kurmuk." - RSF Statement, March 2026
The broader civil war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 11 million people. While the army now claims to have regained control of Khor Hassan, the history of contested territory in this border region suggests a complex and fluid situation on the ground. The army itself has faced accusations of war crimes, just as the UN-mandated mission has stated the RSF has committed crimes against humanity during other sieges.
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