Khartoum: About 2,500 people were displaced from Geisan in Sudan's Blue Nile state after clashes broke out in the town Tuesday, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM said field teams, working under its Displacement Tracking Matrix initiative, estimated that 500 families fled Geisan because of deteriorating security conditions. Most have moved to other locations within the Geisan area, while others crossed the border into Ethiopia, it said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the agency stated that the situation remained 'tense and volatile' and that teams were closely monitoring developments on the ground. Geisan authorities mentioned earlier Tuesday that the army had repelled an attack on the town by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North. However, the RSF claimed it had taken control of Geisan and military positions in the town, a claim that the army did not immediately comment on.

The recent violence is part of a broader conflict that has plagued the region. On July 10, the army reported repelling an attack on the areas of Dim Saad and Yara in the Geisan district. The army controls large portions of Blue Nile state, while the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North has been fighting the Sudanese government since 2011, seeking autonomy for South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

The ongoing conflict between the army and RSF, which began in April 2023 over disagreements about integrating the paramilitary force into the military, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced 13 million people, further exacerbating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.