A Turning Point in the Sudan War with the Army’s Recapture of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum

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Rapid Support Forces have surrounded the city of Mallaha, north of Darfur, which is under the control of the joint forces and the Sudanese army.

On Friday, the Sudanese army announced that it had taken control of the presidential palace and ministries in Khartoum, marking one of the most significant developments in the two-year-long conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, which still control most of western Sudan and are moving to seize cities in Fasher, North Darfur, while the specter of partition looms. This development represents a turning point in the war.

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Military sources indicated that the army was conducting searches in the areas surrounding the palace for members of the Rapid Support Forces. Witnesses reported sporadic gunfire in some areas of central Khartoum.

Army spokesman Nabil Abdullah stated in a statement broadcast on state television, “Today, our forces crowned their successes in the Khartoum axis, where they managed to crush the remnants of the Dagalo militia terrorists in the central areas of Khartoum, the Arab market, the buildings of the presidential palace (a symbol of the sovereignty and dignity of the Sudanese nation), and the ministries,” referring to the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

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Videos on social media showed army soldiers inside the presidential palace, marking the date as the 21st day of Ramadan, which was a Friday.

The palace appeared to be in partial ruin, with the sound of soldiers’ footsteps shattering broken tiles under their boots. The soldiers shouted “Allahu Akbar” while carrying assault rifles and rocket launchers.

The battle for Khartoum is crucial in determining the course of the war, and its capture would accelerate the army’s complete control of central Sudan and solidify the regional division between the east and west of the country.

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The Rapid Support Forces had quickly seized the palace and most of the capital when the war broke out in April 2023. At that time, the Rapid Support Forces rapidly occupied the streets of Khartoum, while the army-aligned government fled to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.

Recently, the balance of power has begun to shift, with the army taking control of areas in central Sudan before shifting its focus to the capital. The central part of Khartoum, where the presidential palace and ministries are located, has seen fierce fighting in recent months, as the army advances through the city.

The Rapid Support Forces announced earlier this year the formation of a parallel government and control parts of Khartoum and Omdurman, as well as western Sudan, where they are fighting to take control of the army‘s last strongholds in Fasher, Darfur.

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Earlier this week, the army stated that its forces had merged from the north and south, encircling the Rapid Support Forces.

A military expert, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told AFP, “With the army entering the presidential palace, which means it controls central Khartoum, the Rapid Support Forces have lost their elite troops.”

Military sources stated that the elite troops of the Rapid Support Forces had stationed and stored ammunition in the palace, which was the former government headquarters. The expert added, “The army has now destroyed equipment, killed several of their forces, and taken control of one of the main supply centers in Khartoum.”

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The Rapid Support Forces did not immediately acknowledge their loss, but this is unlikely to stop the fighting, as the group and its allies still control land in other parts of Sudan.

Sources and witnesses revealed that the Rapid Support Forces had surrounded the city of Mallaha, north of Darfur, which is under the control of the joint forces and the Sudanese army.

Mallaha is located about 210 kilometers northeast of Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

A witness from Mallaha, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, stated that “the Rapid Support Forces have now surrounded the city from several sides, with positions close in the south, southwest, northwest, and east.” He clarified that a large force from the Sudanese army and joint forces was stationed north and east of the city, ready to face any anticipated attack.

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No displacement has been reported from the city so far, although displaced people from the regions of Mellit, Jebel Isa, and Sayah are still in the shelters in Mallaha.

A source from the Rapid Support Forces confirmed sending military reinforcements to the Jebel Isa area, northwest of Mallaha, with forces deployed in the Half area southwest of the city.

The Sudanese army and the joint forces of the armed movements control Mallaha, which is located in the desert adjacent to Libya and is a crossroads linking the city of Debe with the Northern State and the city of Hamra al-Sheikh in North Kordofan.

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Earlier in February, the Sudanese army sent reinforcements to Mallaha in an attempt to lift the siege on Fasher, which has been ongoing since last May.

The ongoing war, which has lasted for nearly two years, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 12 million people, causing the largest hunger and displacement crises in the world.

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