Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters have claimed to have captured Maqja town in the southeastern Blue Nile region following clashes that reportedly resulted in the seizure of several other areas.
The Tasis alliance, comprising the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), said its fighters took control of Maqja after capturing Sali, Al-Keili and Bakori.
The claims could not be independently verified, although the Blue Nile regional government acknowledged changes in military deployments and territorial control in parts of the region.
Videos released by Tasis fighters on Friday showed members of the RSF, SPLM-N and Al-Bishi Forces, a Blue Nile paramilitary group affiliated with the RSF, inside Maqja.
The Sudanese army neither confirmed nor denied losing the town. However, pro-army social media platforms claimed that government troops had withdrawn from the area about three months earlier, arguing that no soldiers were stationed there when the alliance forces entered.
The platforms also played down the reported capture, describing the videos circulated by the RSF-SPLM-N alliance as part of an information war.
Maqja has previously witnessed clashes between the warring sides. On September 20, Anadolu Agency, quoting a local official, reported that the Sudanese army and allied forces had repelled an RSF-SPLM-N attack on Maqja and Mada.
The town is located in Bau locality in southwestern Blue Nile, about 90 kilometres from the regional capital, Al-Damazin, with local road connections to Kurmuk and the Ingessana Hills.
The RSF and SPLM-N had earlier captured the strategic Sali area in Kurmuk following clashes with government forces in late October and early November.
Army, RSF Trade Claims Over Drone Shootdowns
Meanwhile, the Sudanese army and the RSF separately announced that they had shot down drones in West Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
In a statement on Saturday, the army said its air defences had brought down a hostile FH-95 drone over the Ayal Bakhit area of West Kordofan earlier that morning.
The military did not identify the operator of the drone or provide further details about the incident.
The RSF, on its part, claimed to have shot down a Bayraktar Akinci drone belonging to the Sudanese army while it was flying over the Blue Nile front.
Neither claim could be independently verified. Images of wreckage released by the RSF did not establish the type of drone involved or when and where it was brought down.
Blue Nile Government Acknowledges Military Developments
In its first official response to the latest developments, the Blue Nile regional government sought to reassure residents, urging them to rely on official information and avoid circulating unverified reports about the capture of towns or the collapse of military positions.
The government acknowledged military and security developments in parts of the region, noting that ongoing operations could involve troop movements and changes in deployments and territorial control.
It said it was monitoring the situation in coordination with military and security authorities while taking measures to protect civilians and maintain essential services.
However, the statement did not specifically deny that RSF and SPLM-N fighters had entered Maqja, nor did it clarify the previous deployment positions of government troops.
Blue Nile is located in southeastern Sudan and shares borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan. Its regional capital, Al-Damazin, hosts the headquarters of the Sudanese army’s Fourth Infantry Division.
The SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, has maintained positions in the southern part of the region, particularly around areas bordering South Sudan and Ethiopia.
(Asharq Al-Awsat)
