Sudanese army forces repelled an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the allied Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) on Qaisan city in Blue Nile state near the border with Ethiopia. The military stated that it successfully defended the area against the offensive.
The Qaisan governorate said the attack targeted farmers during harvest. The Qaisan governorate described the incident as 'a full-fledged war crime' and stated: 'We condemn in the strongest terms this criminal aggression that targets citizens' livelihoods, security and stability.'
The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army has displaced 13 million people.
No information was available about casualties from the attack on Qaisan. There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the attack on Qaisan.
Strategic Context and Recent Offensives
On July 10, the Sudanese army said its forces had repelled an attack on the areas of Deim Saad and Yara in Qaisan governorate. The Sudanese army controls large parts of Blue Nile state and recently repelled a series of offensives by the RSF paramilitary in a strategically significant region.
The SPLM has fought the Sudanese government since 2011, demanding autonomy for South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions. Since April 2023, the RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army over a dispute about its integration into the military.
The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army has killed tens of thousands of people. This violence has triggered famine in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
