The Sudanese army has regained control of the presidential palace in Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), military leaders have announced. The recapture marks a significant shift in Sudan’s brutal civil war, which has raged for nearly two years.
Videos and photographs posted on social media, verified by the BBC, show jubilant soldiers celebrating the victory, waving their guns, cheering, and kneeling in prayer. The RSF, which had controlled most of the capital and western Sudan since the start of the conflict, has yet to comment on the army’s latest advances.
The battle for Khartoum has been one of the war’s fiercest, as both sides fight for dominance in the strategically crucial capital. In recent weeks, the army has also made significant gains in central Sudan, indicating a shift in momentum. Witnesses reported explosions and airstrikes near the Republican Palace on Thursday, further escalating the fighting.
RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had earlier vowed to defend the palace and surrounding areas, threatening further attacks in several northern cities. Meanwhile, repeated peace efforts have failed, with both sides refusing to back down.
The conflict has led to what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and both the RSF and the army accused of widespread human rights abuses. Despite the army’s recent successes, Sudan’s devastating war shows no signs of ending soon.
