The military has declared a significant victory in Khartoum, successfully taking back crucial areas after months of fierce battles against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This turn of events comes nearly two years after the RSF took control of the capital. In a statement released late Thursday, military spokesman Nabil Abdullah highlighted the military’s success in “forcibly cleansing the last pockets of the remnants of the Daglo terrorist militia,” referring to the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who have been engaged in conflict with the military since April 2023.
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stated on Wednesday that Khartoum had been cleared of RSF forces during his visit to the recently recaptured presidential palace. The military, which faced a series of setbacks for over a year, managed to launch a successful counteroffensive that advanced towards the capital, reclaiming control.
Hiba Morgan, reporting for Al Jazeera from Khartoum, indicated that the army’s control over the city, including the southern Jebel Awliya area, has left the RSF fighters with limited options. She noted that these fighters, now trapped in residential buildings, are fearful of capture and unable to receive supplies to continue their fight.
In response to the army’s victory, the RSF vowed not to retreat or surrender, stating that they have merely repositioned and will continue to deliver “crushing defeats to the enemy on all fronts”. This marked their first direct comment since the military’s recent push in Khartoum.
The military’s success in Khartoum coincides with the RSF’s announcement of a “military alliance” with a rebel group controlling significant areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile state, near the Ethiopian border. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, had previously engaged in conflicts with both sides before agreeing to a political charter with the RSF last month aimed at establishing a rival government.
Witnesses in the Blue Nile state capital, Damazin, reported drone attacks by the paramilitaries and their allies on the airport and the nearby Roseires Dam, marking a new development in the conflict. The army’s 4th Infantry Division in Damazin confirmed that its air defences intercepted the drones.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant loss of life, displacement of over 12 million people, and the severe humanitarian crisis, described by the International Rescue Committee as the “biggest ever recorded”. The war has also led to a geographical division of Sudan, with the military controlling the north and east, and the RSF holding parts of the south and nearly all of Darfur in the west.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/28/sudan-army-claims-taking-full-control-of-capital-khartoum?traffic_source=rss
