Sudan’s military operations have aimed to reclaim the Republican Palace from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), its top adversary, after nearly two years of warfare.
Following two days of fierce battles in and around the palace complex, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has claimed victory, with soldiers sharing media from within the palace.
“Allah is great, Allah is great – Friday, the 21st day of Ramadan and the 21st of March – we entered the Republican Palace. Allah is great!” exclaims a SAF captain in a video shot inside the complex.
Sudanese army members celebrate within the presidential palace. Pic: Reuters
Debris and shattered glass litter the floor as SAF troops tour the building, cheering, “Allah is great!”.
“Some might say this is photoshop, but this is inside the Republican Palace!” the captain shouts.
Sudanese army soldiers film inside the presidential palace. Pic: Reuters
The Republican Palace serves as the country’s seat of power and official residence of its president.
Despite being featured on banknotes, it seldom houses military rulers, who prefer the SAF headquarters southeast of the palace complex.
The palace is a 2015 gift from China to former military leader Omar Al-Bashir.
A Sudanese army spokesperson speaks on Sudan TV. Pic: Sudan TV/Reuters
The palace stands behind the residence of the British governor-general, where General Charles Gordon was killed by Sudanese fighters 140 years ago.
The historical symbolism of the old palace and the political importance of the Chinese-rebuilt structure draw history to its location.
In 2019, protesters marched to the palace to demand an end to military rule.
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Women learn self-defence in Sudan
On Friday, revolutionaries-turned-military recruits claimed victory by entering the palace as victors, to reclaim their city’s landmarks.
Now under the command of Abdelfattah Al-Burhan – Omar Al-Bashir’s former inspector-general – who became the head of state following the popular uprising.
Firsthand account: Awaiting and praying for news of victory after two years of war
For five years, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo served as Al-Burhan’s de facto vice president.
As a Janjaweed militia leader in Darfur, Hemedti, with Al-Burhan under Al-Bashir, was involved in quelling uprisings and ethnic cleansing in Sudan’s western region in the early 2000s.
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Horrors Sudan’s children face
The pair reunited to overthrow a post-revolution transition to civilian rule with a military coup in October 2021.
In April 2023, their partnership collapsed following a power struggle, leading to war in Khartoum.
The RSF quickly seized the airport, the Republican Palace, and the bridges that bind the tri-city capital, causing millions to flee.
Read more: Maps reveal Sudan conflict’s shifting frontlines as SAF reclaims territory
This conflict has sparked the world’s largest humanitarian crisis without a single ceasefire since fighting began.
RSF shelling, SAF airstrikes, starvation, and disease have claimed at least 61,000 lives in Khartoum state alone.
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Within two years, the US has accused the RSF of genocide in Darfur, and the United Nations has documented extreme sexual violence, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing by RSF fighters across Sudan.
