The Sudanese army announced on Sunday that it has made significant gains in the capital Khartoum as part of Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
The military announced in a statement that it gained control over the Al-Ruwad residential complex in central Khartoum after inflicting “heavy losses” on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.
“The heroes of the Armored Corps in the Al-Shajara military area have taken control of the Al-Ruwad residential complex and inflicted heavy losses in lives on the ‘rebel militia’ while adhering to the protection of private and public property in accordance with international law and the rules of engagement,” the statement read.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting the Sudanese army for nearly two years, has not issued an official comment on these developments, though it has accused the army of hitting civilian areas in the capital.Â
The RSF gained control of large swathes of Khartoum early on in the conflict, which began in April 2023.Â
However, since last September, the Sudanese army has been conducting large-scale military operations in the capital, through which it successfully regained large parts of various districts of the city, including Bahri , the Al-Muqran, and several neighbourhoods in southern Omdurman.
On Saturday, it also made progress in northern Khartoum by seizing Jabal Al-Bakash and closing in on the nearby Al-Jili refinery.
Also on Saturday, the leader of the RSF, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, admitted that his forces suffered a defeat in the city of Wad Madani in central Sudan.
However, he did not concede defeat, saying his forces had lost a battle but not the war, affirming their readiness to continue fighting for as long as possible and vowing to retake all the areas they have recently lost.
In the state of North Darfur tate, eyewitnesses reported that the RSF continued shelling the Zamzam camp within the city they have besieged since last May and attacked the city of Umm Kadada, east of El Fasher. According to the witnesses, the popular resistance, allied with the army, repelled the attack before calm returned to the city.
The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the displacement of more than 11 million people. The conflict has also devastated infrastructure and public services, while numerous regional and international efforts to end the war have failed.
After nearly two years of war, the US Department of the Treasury announced last Tuesday the imposition of sanctions on Dagalo, along with seven UAE-based companies linked to arming and funding the RSF.
The US imposed these sanctions on Hemedti and the companies for “their role in destabilizing Sudan and undermining its democratic transition.”
This development is expected to significantly impact Sudan’s political and military landscape and increase pressure on the RSF, which has also been accused of carrying out ethnic cleansing and other war crimes.
