The Sudanese Armed Forces have successfully recaptured the presidential palace in the battle-worn capital of Khartoum, early Friday morning, marking a potential turning point in Sudan’s devastating civil war, now nearing its third year.
Videos and photos shared on Friday showed soldiers celebrating at the entrance of the heavily damaged palace, which overlooks the Nile River, following days of intense fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), the powerful paramilitary group the army has been engaged with.
“We’re inside!” shouted an unidentified officer in one video, as jubilant soldiers gathered around him. “We’re in the Republican Palace!”
Sudan’s Information Minister confirmed that the palace is once again under government control. “Today, the flag is raised, the palace is back, and the journey continues until victory is complete,” Minister Khalid Ali al-Aiser wrote on social media.
In a major turning point in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have reclaimed the Presidential Palace in central Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), nearly two years after the paramilitary group captured it in a dramatic assault that almost toppled the transitional government.
Army units fired celebratory gunshots into the air after securing the symbolic seat of power, delivering a significant blow to RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.
The SAF also announced they had regained large portions of Khartoum from RSF control, continuing a weeks-long counteroffensive that has already seen government forces reclaim Khartoum North and the East Nile district.
Despite these gains, RSF fighters remain entrenched in southern parts of both Khartoum and its twin city, Omdurman, located on the opposite bank of the White Nile. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in these areas continues to worsen.
