Sudanese Army Evacuates Hundreds as Drone Strikes Intensify Near Ethiopian Border

28 February 2026

Displaced persons from Kurmuk arrive in Ed Damazin following drone attacks by the RDF and the SPLM-N on Feb 28, 2026-2

February 28, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – Sudanese army trucks evacuated hundreds of civilians from the strategic border town of Kurmuk on Saturday, as an escalation in drone strikes by paramilitary and rebel forces opened a volatile new front in the country’s internal conflict.

The displaced residents arrived in Ed Damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile region in Sudan’s far southeast, following two days of intensified aerial bombardment. Local officials reported that a combined force of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Joseph Touka, has been targeting residential neighbourhoods and infrastructure.

“The attacks forced citizens to flee toward Ed Damazin once again,” said Kurmuk Commissioner Abdel Ati al-Faki. He noted that approximately 80 families, totaling some 300 people, reached the capital on Saturday, joining nearly 1,900 others who have arrived over the past week.

The evacuation highlights the expanding geography of Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023. The Blue Nile region, which borders Ethiopia, had remained relatively stable until January, when the pace of fighting and drone strikes began to accelerate.

The RSF and its ally, the Touka faction of the SPLM-N—which is affiliated with the powerful Abdel Aziz al-Hilu movement in South Kordofan—are attempting to seize Kurmuk to control a vital corridor along the Ethiopian frontier.

The humanitarian situation for those fleeing remains precarious. Displaced families travelled roughly 150 kilometres (93 miles) along rugged, unpaved roads in army transport vehicles.

“The continuous flow of people is putting authorities under immense pressure,” said Ahmed Hussein, an official at the regional Ministry of Social Welfare. “There is an urgent need for shelter, food, and healthcare. Many are currently using local materials to build makeshift huts for protection from the sun.”

Regional Governor Ahmed Badi al-Umda condemned the strikes, stating that drones had hit a school in Geissan province and a power station in Kurmuk. He characterized the targeting of civilian infrastructure as a violation of international law.

Kurmuk and nearby Geissan have historically been focal points of Sudanese conflict. The towns were major battlegrounds for over two decades before the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the war between Khartoum and the southern rebels led by John Garang. The current fighting marks a return to violence in a region that has changed hands multiple times since 1987.

Local authorities estimate that another 1,500 people remain stranded in Kurmuk, having previously fled fighting in the southern areas of Deim Mansour and Khor al-Boudi. Officials say these groups are currently seeking transportation to Ed Damazin as the frontline draws closer to the town centre.