Sudanese Army Retakes Presidential Palace in Khartoum, After 2 Years of Fighting

Khartoum: The Sudanese military said on Friday that it has retaken the Presidential (Republican) Palace in Khartoum, almost after two years of fighting with the rival paramilitary forces. 

Taking control of the Presidential Palace, marks a symbolic victory for the Sudanese military against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces as it is surrounded by the government ministries. However, it is not likely the end of the war as the Rapid Forces holds territory in Sudan's western Darfur region.

Social media footage revealed soldiers inside a compound, marking the 21st day of Ramadan, which falls on Friday. In the video, a Sudanese military officer, donned in captain’s epaulettes, confirmed the presence of the troops within the facility.

Palace's Fall Marks Symbolic Victory

The fall of the Presidential (Republican) Palace, a key government compound along the Nile River and a symbol of Sudan’s power, marks a remarkable victory for the country’s military. The palace, once the seat of government and featured on Sudanese banknotes and postage stamps, has been steadily captured by forces loyal to army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan in recent months as part of their ongoing advances in the conflict.

With the palace's fall, the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have largely been pushed out of the capital, Khartoum, following the onset of Sudan’s war in April 2023. Sporadic gunfire was reported across the capital on Friday, though it remains unclear whether this was a continuation of fighting or celebratory in nature.

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Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Sudanese military, confirmed that the army now controls the palace and surrounding key areas, including ministry buildings and the Arab Market to the south. However, Khartoum International Airport, located just 2.5 kilometers southeast of the palace, has remained under RSF control since the beginning of the conflict.

The RSF did not immediately acknowledge the loss of the Republican Palace, but this setback is unlikely to halt the fighting, as the paramilitary group and its allies continue to control significant territory in other parts of Sudan.

RSF Takes Control of Al-Maliha

Late Thursday, the RSF claimed to have seized control of al-Maliha, a strategic desert city in North Darfur, located near the borders of Chad and Libya. Sudan's military acknowledged fighting in the area but has not confirmed that the city has fallen.

Al-Maliha is approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of El Fasher, which remains under Sudanese military control despite near-daily attacks by the surrounding RSF forces.

The head of the UN children’s agency has described the ongoing conflict as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, highlighting the devastating impact on civilians.

The war has claimed the lives of more than 28,000 people, displaced millions, and pushed some families to the brink of survival, with reports of people resorting to eating grass as famine spreads across parts of the country. Other estimates suggest the death toll may be significantly higher.

(with AP inputs)