Sudanese Army Deploys Elite Brigade to Bakori Axis After RSF Claims Base Seizures in Blue Nile

The Sudanese army's 4th Infantry Division announced on Saturday, August 29, 2026, that it had deployed its 'Elite Brigade' from the security and intelligence service to the Bakori operational axis in southeastern Blue Nile state, a day after the RSF and allied SPLM-N (al-Hilu) fighters claimed to have seized the army's Bakori and Sarkam bases. Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Tayeb Hussein, the division commander, said the deployment was intended to 'reinforce forces stationed in the area, boost their operational capabilities and support ongoing military operations' against the RSF. The reinforcement came in the same week the army reported downing a third hostile drone crossing into Blue Nile from Ethiopian airspace. Fighting has escalated across Blue Nile alongside Darfur and the three Kordofan states since October 25, 2025, part of a renewed RSF-SPLM-N cross-border offensive that has displaced tens of thousands toward Ed Damazin since early August.