KHARTOUM/ISTANBUL, March 27 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrived at the presidential palace in the capital late Wednesday, declaring Khartoum “free” following the expulsion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.
“It’s over. Khartoum is free,” said Al-Burhan, who also commands the Sudanese Armed Forces, as he stood in the palace flanked by dozens of soldiers, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing local media.
Earlier on Wednesday, Khartoum State Government’s official platform announced on Facebook that the capital was now clear of RSF fighters.
Al-Burhan’s visit marked the first time his helicopter had landed in Khartoum since the conflict erupted nearly two years ago.
The army had announced last Friday that it had regained control of the presidential palace, although the RSF downplayed the development, insisting it was not a definitive defeat.
Basha Tabiq, an adviser to the RSF commander, rejected claims of an army victory, asserting on X (formerly Twitter) that RSF forces have not "collapsed" and "never will."
He maintained that the group remains operational in Khartoum.
“For military strategic reasons, the leadership decided to reposition our forces in Omdurman due to various logistical and operational factors,” he added.
Following the RSF’s capture of Khartoum early in the conflict, the authorities relocated the temporary seat of government to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.
On Wednesday, the army continued its advance, reclaiming the capital’s airport, security headquarters, and neighbourhoods in eastern and southern Khartoum for the first time since April 2023.
In recent days, the army has also regained control of major government and private buildings in central Khartoum and the strategic al-Muqrin district.
The RSF’s territorial hold has been steadily shrinking, with the army regaining areas across Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar and Blue Nile states.
The war between the army and RSF began in mid-April 2023 and has since killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the United Nations (UN) and local authorities.
However, research conducted by US universities places the death toll at around 130,000.
The international community and the UN continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster, as millions face famine and death due to widespread food shortages.
The conflict has now spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
