SUDAN’S army has retaken control of the presidential palace in Khartoum, marking a significant turnaround in its nearly two-year conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The victory, confirmed by state television footage and military officials, is viewed as a symbolic and strategic breakthrough in the battle for Sudan’s capital.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the RSF responded to the army’s advance with a series of deadly drone strikes, killing three state television journalists and several army personnel. An army source told AFP, under condition of anonymity, that the journalists were covering the army’s re-entry into the Republican Palace when an RSF one-way attack drone hit the complex.
The palace, a symbol of Sudanese sovereignty, had been under RSF control since the early days of the war that erupted on April 15, 2023. Its recapture by government forces is being described by military analysts as a major blow to the paramilitary group, which had previously dominated much of Khartoum.
Deadly retaliation by RSF
Despite losing control of the palace, the RSF vowed to continue fighting. In a statement posted on its Telegram channel, the group claimed to have launched a ‘lightning operation’ near the palace, allegedly killing over 89 army personnel and destroying military vehicles.
‘The battle for the Republican Palace is not over yet,’ the RSF declared.
Witnesses cited by AFP reported multiple drone strikes in the area as the RSF attempted to push back against the army’s advance. Footage aired on state television showed army fighters and volunteers in yellow bandanas celebrating through the blackened, damaged halls of the palace.
Turning point in a devastating war
The power struggle between Sudan’s military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), has left tens of thousands dead and displaced over 12 million people. Much of Khartoum fell to the RSF in the early days of the conflict, with the Sudanese army initially struggling to match the paramilitary group’s rapid mobility and firepower.
However, the army has recently regained ground. A counteroffensive launched in late 2024 in Al-Jazira state marked the beginning of a strategic shift. With the defection of local commanders bolstering army efforts, government forces have managed to reclaim key areas, including the capital’s central districts.
RSF suffers major losses
A military expert, speaking anonymously to AFP, stated that the RSF had lost many of its elite fighters in the battle for the Republican Palace.
‘With the army entering the Republican Palace, controlling central Khartoum, the militia has lost its elite forces,’ the expert said.
The army has reportedly destroyed RSF equipment and taken control of vital supply centres in the capital.
Military sources told AFP that remaining RSF fighters have retreated into nearby buildings and continue to hold out in parts of Khartoum’s western and southern outskirts, as well as sections of the bombed-out airport.
The fight is far from over
Despite the setback, the RSF pledged to keep fighting. In a recent video, RSF commander Hemedti vowed resistance against the army’s counteroffensive.
Army spokesman Nabil Abdallah stated that government forces would ‘continue to progress on all fronts until victory is complete and every inch of our country is purged of the militia and its supporters.’
While retaking the palace marks a significant moment for the Sudanese army, large areas of Sudan, particularly Darfur and the south, remain under RSF control. The humanitarian situation is also deteriorating rapidly. According to AFP, more than eight million people are on the brink of famine, and nearly 25 million face severe food insecurity.
As the conflict grinds on, the battle for Khartoum may be tipping in the army’s favour, but the wider war for Sudan’s future remains unresolved.
