Sudan’s military leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, made a symbolic return to the presidential palace in Khartoum after the army successfully recaptured the city’s international airport and key state institutions from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Standing among cheering soldiers at the palace—a powerful symbol of national sovereignty—Burhan declared the capital “free” from RSF control. “Khartoum is free, it’s done,” he announced, marking his first presence at the site since the war erupted nearly two years ago.
The conflict between Sudan’s military and the RSF began in April 2023, plunging the country into chaos. The RSF had seized much of Khartoum, forcing Sudan’s military-led government to relocate to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. After months of intense fighting, the army’s recent offensive has shifted momentum.
According to military sources, the army now controls all bridges over the Nile connecting the three cities of Greater Khartoum, as well as Jebel Awliya, a key RSF stronghold in southern Khartoum. Footage released by the army, though unverified, appears to show RSF fighters retreating southward across a dam near Jebel Awliya, signaling a potential shift in the conflict’s dynamics.
As government forces consolidate control, some residents in central Khartoum have been seen celebrating the RSF’s retreat after what they described as a brutal occupation. However, the humanitarian toll remains staggering—hundreds of thousands have died, and millions have been displaced by the fighting.
With the battle for Khartoum seemingly turning in the military’s favor, attention now shifts to whether the RSF will regroup or if this marks a decisive turning point in Sudan’s ongoing war.
