Sudan’s military announced it has regained control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum, a significant symbolic and strategic victory against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The development, however, is unlikely to signal an end to the war, as the RSF continues to hold territory in western Darfur and other regions.
Videos circulating on social media showed soldiers inside the palace, citing Friday as the 21st day of Ramadan. A Sudanese military officer wearing a captain’s epaulettes confirmed in the footage that troops were inside the compound. The palace appeared partially destroyed, with soldiers walking over broken tiles and chanting “God is the greatest!” while armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Information Minister Khaled al-Aiser confirmed the recapture on social platform X, stating, “Today the flag is raised, the palace is back, and the journey continues until victory is complete.”
Located along the Nile River, the Republican Palace served as the seat of Sudan’s government before the war erupted and is prominently featured on the nation’s banknotes and postage stamps. Its fall marks a critical battlefield gain for Sudan’s military, which has made steady advances in recent months under army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.
The RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has been largely pushed out of Khartoum following the conflict’s eruption in April 2023. Sporadic gunfire continued in the capital Friday, though it remained unclear if it was from ongoing clashes or celebratory firing.
Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a military spokesperson, stated that Sudanese forces were now holding the palace and surrounding key locations, including government ministry buildings and the Arab Market to the south. However, Khartoum International Airport, approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the palace, remains under RSF control.
RSF-linked politician Suleiman Sandal acknowledged the military’s capture of the palace but dismissed it as part of history’s “ups and downs.” The RSF later claimed its fighters remained in the area and launched a drone attack that reportedly killed military personnel and journalists inside the palace.
As battles raged in Khartoum, the RSF claimed control of al-Maliha, a strategic desert city in North Darfur near the Chad and Libya borders. The Sudanese military confirmed fighting in the area but has not acknowledged losing control of the city. Al-Maliha sits about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of El Fasher, a military stronghold under frequent RSF attacks.
The conflict has escalated into what the United Nations calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. UNICEF condemned the looting of food aid at Al Bashir Hospital on the outskirts of Khartoum, warning that “commercial supplies and humanitarian aid have been blocked for more than three months due to ongoing conflict along key routes.” The resulting shortages of food, medicine, and essential goods have left thousands of civilians trapped amid the fighting.
Since the war began, more than 28,000 people have been killed, and millions have been displaced. Some families face starvation, resorting to eating grass as famine spreads across the country. Independent estimates suggest the actual death toll may be far higher.
The Republican Palace, a remnant of British colonial rule, played a central role in Sudan’s history, including the raising of the nation’s first independent flag in 1956. It served as the primary office for Sudan’s presidents and senior officials until the recent conflict.
Sudan has been in turmoil since the 2019 ousting of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir. A brief transition toward democracy ended in 2021 when Burhan and Dagalo staged a military coup. The RSF and Sudanese military turned against each other in April 2023, igniting a war that has devastated the nation.
Burhan’s forces, including allied militias, have made significant gains this year, recapturing a key refinery north of Khartoum before pushing into the capital itself. The intensifying conflict has led to increasing civilian casualties.
Al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide during the early 2000s Darfur conflict, once relied on the Janjaweed militia, the precursor to the RSF. The RSF and allied Arab militias have been accused by the UN and rights groups of committing fresh atrocities against ethnic African communities. Both warring factions have faced allegations of human rights violations, with the U.S. State Department designating the RSF’s actions as genocide before President Joe Biden left office.
Despite denials from both sides, the war continues to exact a devastating toll on Sudan’s civilian population, with no clear resolution in sight.
