Sudan's military announced Friday it had recaptured the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the historic seat of the country's government, marking its most significant victory yet in the ongoing conflict with the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The army declared control over the palace after nearly two years of intense fighting, dealing a symbolic blow to RSF forces that had entrenched themselves in the capital since the war erupted in April 2023.
Social media videos circulating Friday showed Sudanese soldiers walking through the compound, partially destroyed and littered with debris. An officer confirmed the military's presence, giving the date as the 21st day of Ramadan, and soldiers chanted "God is the greatest!" while brandishing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
Sudan's Information Minister Khaled al-Aiser posted on X, "Today the flag is raised, the palace is back and the journey continues until victory is complete."
The Republican Palace, positioned along the Nile River, is deeply symbolic, having served as the seat of power since the British colonial era and immortalized on Sudanese banknotes and postage stamps. Its capture by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan's forces represents a major advance in the military's months-long counteroffensive against RSF fighters loyal to Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.
The RSF did not immediately acknowledge the loss, but analysts suggest this setback will not end the conflict. The paramilitary force retains control over large swaths of territory outside Khartoum, including significant regions of Darfur. Late Thursday, RSF forces claimed they had seized the strategic desert city of al-Maliha in North Darfur, near Chad and Libya's borders. Sudan's military confirmed ongoing clashes in the area but did not concede control.
Despite the military's gains in Khartoum, fighting continues to escalate. Sporadic gunfire rang out in the capital on Friday, though it was unclear whether it was celebratory or ongoing combat. In a grim reminder of the conflict's brutality, a drone strike killed three journalists shortly after troops celebrated retaking the palace.
The war has inflicted severe humanitarian costs. According to the United Nations, the conflict has killed over 28,000 people, displaced millions, and pushed parts of Sudan into famine. Some estimates suggest the true death toll may be far higher.
Rights groups and the UN accuse RSF fighters and allied Arab militias of systematically targeting ethnic African communities in Darfur, echoing atrocities committed by the Janjaweed-the RSF's predecessor-during the early 2000s. A report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights found that RSF forces detained at least 10,000 people in Khartoum in the war's first months.
While civilians in Khartoum generally welcomed the army's victory, reports continue to surface of human rights abuses by army-aligned militias following RSF withdrawals.
Analysts warn that Sudan could be on the verge of de facto partition. The RSF has established a parallel government and controls four of Darfur's five regions. Its failure to capture El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and home to a significant army garrison, remains a key obstacle.
Sudan appears to be heading to a "Libya scenario," said Sharath Srinivasan, a professor at Cambridge University, referring to the fracturing of Sudan between two rival authorities supported by various armed factions. "It feels the geographic bifurcation is getting stronger, except El Fasher of course."
The conflict's origins trace back to Sudan's political instability following the ousting of autocratic ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A transitional government briefly governed before Burhan and Dagalo staged a coup in 2021, only to turn on each other two years later.
