On Wednesday, Sudan’s Sovereign Council announced that Khartoum has been liberated following the expulsion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the capital.
In recent weeks, the Sudanese military has successfully intensified its operations, reclaiming key locations such as the presidential palace and, most recently, the airport in Khartoum from the RSF.
Residents of Khartoum reported that the army has taken over positions previously held by RSF fighters throughout the city center, marking a significant achievement for the national army in a conflict that has divided the nation for the past two years.
The conflict erupted when the military and the RSF turned against one another in a bid for power.
The fighting around Khartoum had allowed the RSF to maintain control over the airport, the presidential palace, and various neighborhoods, with the violence spreading across the country.
While the recapture of the capital is a significant development, the conflict is far from over, as the RSF continues to hold territories in the western Darfur region and other locations.
Earlier that day, the military reported that it had regained control of the RSF’s last major stronghold in Khartoum, the Teiba al-Hasnab camp, but there was no immediate response from the RSF.
“This is a crucial and defining moment in Sudan’s history,” stated Information Minister Khalid Aleiser, spokesperson for the military-led government, on social media. “Khartoum is free, as it rightfully should be.”
With military control of the airport and a sense of calm returning to Khartoum, humanitarian organizations may be able to increase their supply deliveries to a country where approximately 14 million people have been displaced and some regions are facing famine.
The death toll has reached at least 28,000, although the actual figure is likely much higher.
