Sovereignty Council Chief Al-Burhan Inspects Army Readiness in Blue Nile's Ed Damazin Amid RSF-SPLM-N Buildup

Sudan's Sovereignty Council chairman and army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited Ed Damazin, the Blue Nile state capital, on September 3, 2026, inspecting the army's 4th Infantry Division and receiving briefings on the security and operational situation, according to an army statement. Al-Burhan stressed the need to raise preparedness, vigilance, discipline, and combat readiness, and also visited a military hospital in Damazin to check on wounded soldiers. The visit came amid escalating clashes and a reported RSF-SPLM-N buildup near the Ethiopian border, days after the RSF and allied SPLM-N (al-Hilu) fighters claimed to have seized the army's Bakori and Sirkam bases southeast of the city and thousands of civilians fled toward Damazin from southern and western Blue Nile.