VIDEO: Sudanese army declares full control over Khartoum, expels RSF fighters

Sudan’s army announced Tuesday that it has fully recaptured the entire state of Khartoum from the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking a significant shift in the country’s civil war now entering its third year.

In a statement released by the General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the military declared that Khartoum state — including the capital Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North (Bahri) — is now “completely free of rebels.”

Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the army, said SAF forces had launched a large-scale offensive to remove remaining RSF pockets in the western and southern districts of Omdurman. “Khartoum state is completely free of rebels,” he announced in a video statement, confirming the military’s control over the Greater Khartoum region.

The RSF has not yet responded publicly to the army’s statements.

The announcement marks a major military advance for SAF in a war that began on April 15, 2023, following months of escalating tensions between the army and the RSF, once allies in Sudan’s transitional government.

More than 24,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted, according to estimates, though the true toll is believed to be much higher. Around 13 million people have been displaced, including 4 million who have fled across borders into neighboring countries.

Much of the country is now facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with some regions teetering on the brink of famine. The war has been accompanied by widespread atrocities, including mass sexual violence and ethnically targeted killings, particularly in the Darfur region. The United Nations and international human rights groups have described many of these actions as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The army's declaration comes as fighting continues in other parts of the country, and peace remains a distant prospect.