Khartoum: The Sudanese army announced on Friday that it had seized full control of the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum, marking a significant gain in its two-year-long conflict against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The battle for control of Sudan has intensified, with both factions vying for dominance, leading to concerns about a potential partition of the country.
For much of the war, the army struggled to maintain its ground but has recently regained territory in central Sudan. Meanwhile, the RSF has solidified its hold in the west, reinforcing battle lines and establishing a parallel government in the areas under its control. However, experts suggest that such a government is unlikely to receive broad international recognition.
The Sudanese army said it seized full control of the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum https://t.co/VcKoZveKUk pic.twitter.com/6v6jf8dFcn
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 21, 2025
Despite the army’s declaration of victory, the RSF claimed later on Friday that its forces remained near the palace and had launched an assault that resulted in the deaths of dozens of army soldiers inside. Army sources confirmed the presence of RSF fighters approximately 400 meters away, adding that a drone attack had killed multiple soldiers and three state television journalists.
The RSF initially captured the presidential palace in April 2023 when war broke out over disagreements regarding the integration of paramilitary forces into the national army. In response to its recent victory, the army released videos of soldiers celebrating on palace grounds, which bore the scars of intense combat—shattered glass, bullet-riddled walls, and structural damage caused by explosions.
For many Sudanese, the army’s announcement sparked hope. “The liberation of the palace is the best news I’ve heard since the start of the war because it means the army is beginning to control the rest of Khartoum,” said 55-year-old resident Mohamed Ibrahim. “We want to be safe again and live without fear or hunger.”
Escalating Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
On Thursday, just hours before the army’s announcement, the RSF reported capturing a key military base in North Darfur, a region that has suffered immensely throughout the conflict. The ongoing war has plunged Sudan into what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with famine spreading and disease outbreaks worsening in a country of 50 million people.
Both factions have faced allegations of war crimes, while the RSF has additionally been accused of genocide. However, both groups deny these charges.
Also Read | Heathrow Shutdown Sparks Global Travel Disruptions and Contingency Concerns
Intensified Fighting in Khartoum
Gunfire continued to echo across Khartoum on Friday as the army sought to push RSF forces further south of the palace. “We are moving forward along all fighting axes until victory is complete by cleansing every inch of our country from the filth of this militia and its collaborators,” the army stated.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, had previously ordered his forces to retain their position at the palace. However, analysts suggest that the RSF’s hold in Khartoum is now more precarious than at any point since the war began.
Ahmed Soliman, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, stated that the army appears determined to continue its offensive into western Sudan, raising fears of a prolonged and deeply entrenched conflict. “Sudan is heading toward a contested, partitioned reality,” he warned.
Origins of the Conflict
The war erupted two years ago as Sudan was preparing for a transition to democratic governance. The Sudanese army and the RSF had initially collaborated to overthrow longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019, later working together to remove the civilian-led government. However, tensions between the two forces had been simmering for years.
Bashir had strategically empowered Hemedti and the RSF—rooted in the notorious janjaweed militias of Darfur—as a counterbalance to the national army, which was under the command of career military officer Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The struggle for power between these two factions has since plunged Sudan into a devastating civil war, with no clear resolution in sight.
