Sudanese War Draws Closer to Ethiopian Border

Days after rising tensions along Sudan’s western border with Chad, the repercussions of the war have drawn closer to its eastern frontier with Ethiopia, following intensified fighting in the Blue Nile state and the army’s announcement that it had shot down drones it said had come from Ethiopian territory. This development comes as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies declared control over strategic areas in the border state.

This evolution places two neighboring countries—Chad to the west and Ethiopia to the east—in increasingly close proximity to a war that has entered its fourth year, amid fears that the expansion of military operations near the borders could heighten the risk of the conflict’s repercussions spreading regionally.

N’Djamena had previously raised its alert level along its border with Sudan after accusing the Sudanese army of carrying out a strike inside Chadian territory that targeted a convoy of vehicles. Khartoum rejected these accusations, refusing to hold the army accountable without an independent investigation.

In the latest development on the eastern front, the RSF, in coordination with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, announced the capture of the “Serkam” and “Bakuri” bases in Blue Nile, near the Ethiopian border, after fierce battles with the army.

The RSF spokesperson, Fattah Qarshi, stated that forces of the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) had taken control of the two bases, inflicted casualties on the army and its supporting forces, and seized combat vehicles, tanks, weapons, and ammunition. The RSF broadcast video footage it claimed showed its elements deployed inside the army’s Serkam military base. However, independent verification of all the details of their account or the scale of the reported losses remains impossible.

Conversely, local sources reported that the army had “repelled an attack on Bakuri,” leaving control of the area disputed, in the absence of a detailed statement from the army clarifying the ground situation.