The Sudanese army announced on Tuesday the complete authority of the areas that were under the control of the “Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North,” led by Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu, in the Blue Nile state, southeastern Sudan.
Nabil Abdullah, the spokesperson for the Sudanese army, stated in an audio recording posted on his Facebook page that “The rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, led by Joseph Tuka (the Deputy First Vice President of the movement), believed during the past period that the army’s engagement in fighting rebels (Rapid Support Forces) in Khartoum and Darfur would allow them to attack and take control of several areas in the Blue Nile state.”
He added, “Today, our forces have liberated all the areas that Joseph Tuka’s forces had reached.” He emphasized that these areas have been completely secured.
Over the past four years, the government of Khartoum and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North have extended a ceasefire agreement between them in areas under their control.
The fighting of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement has been active in South Kordofan (South) and Blue Nile (Southeast) since 2011, aiming to achieve a special status for these two regions.
Since mid-April, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been engaged in clashes that a series of ceasefires have failed to halt. This has resulted in more than 3,000 casualties, mostly civilians, and around 4 million internally displaced people and refugees within and outside the country.