The Sudanese army continues against the RSF militia – and apparently has achieved an important success. The presidential palace in the capital of Khartum is again under the control of the military. But it continues to fight.
According to the government, the Sudanese army has recaptured the Presidential Palace in Khartum from the Miliz RSF. “The flag is hoisted, the palace has returned,” wrote the Sudanese information minister Khaled al-E-ON on the Telegram platform. A army spokesman spoke of a “crowning glory of our success”. Several ministry buildings are again under control of the army. The RSF militia has not yet commented.
According to media reports and insiders, the palace should also be completely under the control of the military. Videos on social media showed soldiers in the building. The Reuters news agency, citing military circles, reported that areas around the palace are searched for RSF members. Some would have entrenched themselves in buildings and shops.
The RSF militia has held the presidential palace occupied since the beginning of the civil war in April 2023. At that time, the tensions between the military and the paramiliz that rivaled with it converted into open violence that was spreading across the country from Khartum. The palace was the last bastion of the RSF.
Heavy fights in the past few days
The recapture would therefore be one of the most important successes in the army. The Sudanese military had started a large offensive weeks ago to push the RSF back from Khartum. So there have been severe fights in the past few days.
Already on Thursday, the Sudanese army moved up to 500 meters to the Presidential Palace. Journalists from the AFP news agency reported explosions and shots that could be heard in the city. An RSF spokesman spoke of more than 600 deaths at the militia.
Miliz continues to keep areas in Sudan
The army controls the east and north of the country, while the RSF militia has taken almost the entire region of Darfur in the west and controls large parts of the south. Most recently, the army made land profits in Khartum. However, parts of the capital and the neighboring town of Omdurman are apparently still under the control of the RSF.
So far, the militia has also not immediately commented on a displacement from Khartum announced by the military. In addition to the palace, the RSF also conquered most of the capital in spring 2023 and began to set up a parallel government at the beginning of this year.
Experts consider a division of the Sudan to be possible. “Every division of the country will have its disadvantages. The political forces are already suffering from the division. There are about 76 political parties in Sudan,” said Sudanese military expert Amin Mahjoub, who lives in exile in Cairo. The chance that civil powers will come back to power at some point is low.
Support from international Allied
Both sides also receive international support in the war. The army is mainly supported by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the most important ally of the RSF militia are the United Arab Emirates. The government there vehemently denies to deliver modern weapons to the RSF, but reports from the United Nations indicate the opposite.
The army has now succeeded in capsing the after-pushing paths for weapons of the militia from neighboring countries, the former Sudanese general Jamal al-Shahid claimed. This is of great importance for success in Khartum.
Tens of thousands of deaths through power struggle
In the North African country, the army of military rulers Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF militia of its former deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo have been delivering this bloody power struggle for almost two years. According to UN, tens of thousands of people were killed in the fights, more than twelve million people are on the run. The United Nations speak of the greatest hunger crisis in the world. Both the army and the RSF militia are accused of war crimes.
According to the Ug, at least 3.5 million people had to leave their houses and apartments in the greater Khartum. At least 100,000 people suffer from acute hunger.
With information by Moritz Behrendt, ARD Cairo
