The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) fighters captured Sali in southern Blue Nile State on Tuesday morning, advancing from two directions after repeated attempts to take the army-held town.
The fighters moved north from Kurmuk, south of Sali, while another force advanced eastward from Sirkum, west of the town, according to local accounts.
Sudan War Monitor geolocated a video showing RSF fighters outside Sali Health Centre at 10°46’42.92”N 34°11’31.79”E. The location confirms that the fighters had entered the town. Sali lies about 30 kilometres south of Dindiro and approximately 100 kilometres south of Ed Damazin, the state capital.
In this video, RSF soldiers are seen outside the Sali health centre. This video is geolocated to this location: 10°46’42.92”N 34°11’31.79”E.
The Sudan Founding Alliance (Ta’sis), which includes the RSF and SPLM-N forces led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, announced on Tuesday that its forces had captured the strategic Sali military base.
The statement claimed that the fighting left a large number of army personnel dead or captured and that weapons and military equipment had been seized. It provided no figures.
“The valiant fighters of the Sudan Founding Alliance (Ta’sis) forces in the Blue Nile region, also known as New Funj, achieved significant victories on Tuesday, capturing the strategic Sali base and inflicting a crushing defeat on the army of what they described as the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood during decisive battles.”
“Our forces are continuing their advance, steadily moving to clear the remaining areas amid what they described as collapse and confusion within the ranks of the terrorist militias, foreign mercenaries and mercenary groups.”
“These military operations and battlefield victories represent a significant shift in the course of the fighting and a strategic step towards ending the dominance of extremist groups and defeating their destructive project.”
“During Tuesday’s battles, our fighters demonstrated courage and determination, inflicting heavy casualties and equipment losses on the enemy. A large number of its personnel were killed or captured, while the remnants of its forces fled, leaving behind quantities of weapons and military equipment. Our forces thereby established full control over the strategic Sali base in the region.”
“The Ta’sis coalition forces reaffirm their firm commitment to protecting civilians in areas they have liberated, securing them and safeguarding their property after freeing them from the oppression of extremist groups. They also assure residents that their safety remains a top priority and urge them to stay away from areas of military operations to protect their lives.”
“Our forces bring good news to the Sudanese people and the forces of change: these victories represent another step towards the dawn of liberation. They reaffirm their determination to continue advancing until the remaining strongholds of terrorist groups have been liberated, paving the way for the construction of a Sudanese state founded on justice, equality and the rule of law,” the statement said.
The Sudanese army had not issued a statement on the reported capture by the time of publication.
The latest advance came a day after the army’s 4th Infantry Division announced that it had repelled attacks by RSF and SPLM-N forces on Sali and Bakori. The division claimed that its troops had inflicted heavy losses on the attackers, without providing casualty figures or details of equipment losses.
Sali has been among the main targets of the coalition’s operations in Kurmuk locality. The Sudanese military has previously repelled several attacks on the town since April.
The town had remained under army control through the earlier fighting which begun in early 2026. Its capture would give the coalition a position farther north along the route linking Kurmuk with Dindiro and Damazin.
The fighting around Sali has been part of a wider campaign in southern Blue Nile that began with the coalition’s capture of Kurmuk on March 23. RSF and SPLM-N forces overran army positions around Jurut and Khor Arbudi before entering the border town and seizing the locality headquarters and the 16th Infantry Brigade compound.
The army launched a counteroffensive in June, retaking Sirkum and Mugaja on June 29 before recapturing Kurmuk on July 8.
Sirkum, about 11 kilometres west of Sali, has also been a contested position. The RSF captured its military garrison on June 20, in a setback for the army’s defences along the Sali-Dindiro road. The army later retook Sirkum village.
The coalition returned to the offensive in August, recapturing Kurmuk and taking Geisan near the Ethiopian border. It subsequently announced further gains around Dokan, Khor Hassan, Karn Karn and other positions in the area.
The latest capture places the coalition farther along the southern approach to Dindiro. The route is important for the movement of forces between the border region and army-held areas around Damazin. The advance also puts renewed pressure on the army’s positions south of the state capital.
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