Sudanese Army Recaptures Presidential Palace Amid Ongoing Civil Conflict
The Sudanese military claims a significant strategic victory against the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum.
The Sudanese army has successfully reclaimed the presidential palace in Khartoum, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing civil war between state forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This development was confirmed by multiple sources, including a video broadcasted on social media showing troops armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers inside the partially damaged palace.
Khaled al-Aiser, Sudan's information minister, announced the military's victory on social media platform X, stating, "Today the flag is raised, the palace is back and the journey continues until victory is complete." Following the recapture, sporadic gunfire was reported across Khartoum, although the nature of the fighting was not definitively identified.
In response to this military gain, the RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, retaliated with drone attacks in the vicinity of the palace.
Reports indicated that three journalists from state television were killed during one such drone strike, emphasizing the ongoing dangers faced by media personnel in the conflict zone.
The RSF issued a statement asserting that it had launched a "lightning operation" around the palace, claiming to have inflicted significant casualties on Sudanese forces, including the death of more than 89 personnel and the destruction of various military vehicles.
The RSF maintained that the battle for the palace was not concluded and vowed to continue efforts to reclaim territory from the army.
Though the army's recapture of the presidential palace is a notable achievement, it does not signal an imminent conclusion to the conflict.
The RSF has fortified its presence in the western Darfur region and is reportedly establishing a parallel governance system in the territories it controls, although this governance is unlikely to gain broad international recognition.
On the ground, RSF fighters continue to be active in Khartoum, with reports suggesting they remain dispersed in urban areas following earlier dominance during the conflict's initial stage.
Meanwhile, the RSF recently claimed control of the strategic city of al-Maliha in North Darfur, located close to the borders with Chad and Libya.
The Sudanese military has acknowledged clashes in the area but has not confirmed the loss of the city.
The ongoing civil war has precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis, with the head of the United Nations children's agency designating the situation in Sudan as the world's largest humanitarian emergency.
The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, significantly exacerbating food insecurity, with reports of families resorting to eating grass to survive amid widespread famine.
Sudan's instability can be traced back to a popular uprising that ousted long-standing autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019, leading to a brief period of democratic transition that was disrupted by a military coup in 2021, jointly orchestrated by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Dagalo.
Fighting erupted between the Sudanese military and RSF in 2023, further complicating the political landscape.
Both military factions have faced serious allegations of human rights abuses throughout the conflict, with the US state department previously characterizing the RSF's actions as genocidal before the departure of President Joe Biden from office.
However, both the military and the RSF have denied these accusations.
The conflict in Sudan has drawn in various external actors with vested interests, including nations such as Chad, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Libya, Qatar, and Russia.
Allegations have surfaced regarding financial and military support from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to the respective factions; however, both countries have refuted these claims.
This development was confirmed by multiple sources, including a video broadcasted on social media showing troops armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers inside the partially damaged palace.
Khaled al-Aiser, Sudan's information minister, announced the military's victory on social media platform X, stating, "Today the flag is raised, the palace is back and the journey continues until victory is complete." Following the recapture, sporadic gunfire was reported across Khartoum, although the nature of the fighting was not definitively identified.
In response to this military gain, the RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, retaliated with drone attacks in the vicinity of the palace.
Reports indicated that three journalists from state television were killed during one such drone strike, emphasizing the ongoing dangers faced by media personnel in the conflict zone.
The RSF issued a statement asserting that it had launched a "lightning operation" around the palace, claiming to have inflicted significant casualties on Sudanese forces, including the death of more than 89 personnel and the destruction of various military vehicles.
The RSF maintained that the battle for the palace was not concluded and vowed to continue efforts to reclaim territory from the army.
Though the army's recapture of the presidential palace is a notable achievement, it does not signal an imminent conclusion to the conflict.
The RSF has fortified its presence in the western Darfur region and is reportedly establishing a parallel governance system in the territories it controls, although this governance is unlikely to gain broad international recognition.
On the ground, RSF fighters continue to be active in Khartoum, with reports suggesting they remain dispersed in urban areas following earlier dominance during the conflict's initial stage.
Meanwhile, the RSF recently claimed control of the strategic city of al-Maliha in North Darfur, located close to the borders with Chad and Libya.
The Sudanese military has acknowledged clashes in the area but has not confirmed the loss of the city.
The ongoing civil war has precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis, with the head of the United Nations children's agency designating the situation in Sudan as the world's largest humanitarian emergency.
The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, significantly exacerbating food insecurity, with reports of families resorting to eating grass to survive amid widespread famine.
Sudan's instability can be traced back to a popular uprising that ousted long-standing autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019, leading to a brief period of democratic transition that was disrupted by a military coup in 2021, jointly orchestrated by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Dagalo.
Fighting erupted between the Sudanese military and RSF in 2023, further complicating the political landscape.
Both military factions have faced serious allegations of human rights abuses throughout the conflict, with the US state department previously characterizing the RSF's actions as genocidal before the departure of President Joe Biden from office.
However, both the military and the RSF have denied these accusations.
The conflict in Sudan has drawn in various external actors with vested interests, including nations such as Chad, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Libya, Qatar, and Russia.
Allegations have surfaced regarding financial and military support from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to the respective factions; however, both countries have refuted these claims.
