Hundreds of residents fled their homes in Sudan’s Blue Nile region on October 5, 2026, following fresh attacks attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The regional Humanitarian Aid Commission said residents were displaced from Jabal Al-Nimr and Minza, with many seeking safety in Al-Azaza and Village 6. The fighting has raised concerns about civilian protection and access to essential supplies.
The displacement followed an announcement by the Sudanese military on October 3, 2026, that it had repelled a joint attack by the RSF and an allied faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North on Minza and nearby Bashkarkad.
Minza, located east of the Roseires Dam near the Ethiopian border, serves as an important military supply and defensive position. Fighting in Blue Nile has intensified during 2026. The army said it recaptured several strategic border positions, including Al-Karmak and Geissan, after clashes in July. The International Organization for Migration reported that about 7,000 people, representing approximately 1,400 families, fled Minza, Jabal Al-Nimr and Manshlong on September 26, 2026, because of deteriorating security.
Major General Ismail Al-Tayeb Hussein, commander of the army’s 4th Infantry Division, inspected troop deployments in Bilgoh and Wad Al-Mahi on October 5. He denied reports of an imminent RSF advance and maintained that government forces controlled the area.