A military official has claimed that soldiers have won a “historic” victory over a “terrorist militia” in the national capital
The Sudanese army has regained full control of the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, from fighters of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who had held it since war broke out in the African country in 2023.
Central Khartoum has been a major battleground in recent weeks, with clashes intensifying last Sunday when soldiers advanced to the military’s general command and gained control of surrounding areas, local media reported. According to the Sudan Tribune news agency, the army’s operation cut off RSF supply routes, isolating its fighters from allied forces in the southern and eastern areas of the capital.
In a statement on Friday, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah said the army had seized control of ministries and other key buildings in central Khartoum in a “historic and heroic victory.”
“Our forces today completed their successes in Khartoum, crushing the remnants of the… terrorist militia in central Khartoum, the Arab market, the presidential palace, and ministry buildings,” he announced.
Videos and photos shared on social media by the SAF showed soldiers celebrating outside the palace – waving Sudanese flags, carrying weapons, and flashing victory signs – surrounded by debris from shattered windows, and walls riddled with bullet holes.
Sudan’s military declares it has seized full control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, a key site held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for nearly two years.The takeover follows a renewed offensive that has seen the army regain ground in central Sudan.Footage… pic.twitter.com/NMJRLC8GHU
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On Thursday, the RSF issued a statement, claiming it had seized a key base from the army in North Darfur, a region in the west of the country.
The RSF and SAF have been at war since mid-April 2023, when tensions between their commanders over a plan to transition the country to civilian rule escalated. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed in the hostilities. The UN human rights office says the conflict has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, with half the Sudanese population facing acute food insecurity.
Last month, the paramilitary group signed a charter with allied political and armed groups to establish a “government of peace and unity” in the conflict-torn country. It came just weeks after the de facto leader of the northeastern African nation and army commander, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, announced his intention to form a “caretaker” or “wartime” government.
The African Union has condemned the RSF’s move, warning that forming a parallel government “carries a huge risk of partitioning the country.” The UN Security Council has expressed similar concerns.
Reuters quoted a 55-year-old Khartoum resident, Mohamed Ibrahim, as saying that: “The liberation of the palace is the best news I’ve heard since the start of the war, because it means the start of the army controlling the rest of Khartoum.”
“We want to be safe again and live without fear or hunger,” he reportedly added.
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