Sudan’s military stated on Friday that it had regained control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the last heavily fortified stronghold of rival paramilitary forces in the capital, following nearly two years of conflict.
Videos shared on social media depicted soldiers inside the palace, mentioning the 21st day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy fasting month, which coincided with Friday. In the footage, a Sudanese military officer, identified by his captain’s epaulettes, confirmed the troops’ presence within the compound.
Can technology help more sexual assault survivors in South Sudan?
The palace appeared to be partially destroyed, with soldiers stepping on shattered tiles. Armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, they chanted, “God is the greatest!”
Khaled al-Aiser, Sudan’s information minister, announced in a post on the social platform X that the military had retaken the palace.
“Today, the flag is raised, the palace is reclaimed, and the journey continues until complete victory,” he wrote.
The Palace's Fall: A Symbolic and Strategic Shift
The capture of the Republican Palace, a complex along the Nile River that served as the government's seat before the war and is featured on Sudanese banknotes and postage stamps, marks another significant military gain for Sudan’s armed forces. Under the leadership of army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, they have made steady progress in recent months.
This development signifies that the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have been largely expelled from Khartoum since the conflict erupted in April 2023. Sporadic gunfire was heard throughout the capital on Friday, though it was unclear whether it was due to ongoing clashes or celebratory gunfire.
The RSF did not immediately acknowledge the loss, and the battle is unlikely to end, as the group and its allies still control territory in other parts of Sudan.
On Thursday night, the RSF claimed it had seized al-Maliha, a strategically important desert city in North Darfur near the borders of Chad and Libya. Sudan’s military confirmed that clashes had occurred in the area but did not state that it had lost control of the city.
Al-Maliha is located approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of El Fasher, which remains under the control of the Sudanese military despite frequent RSF attacks.
The head of the U.N. children’s agency has described the war as having created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
More than 28,000 people have been killed, and millions have been displaced. Some families are resorting to eating grass as famine devastates parts of the country. Other estimates suggest an even higher death toll.
The Republican Palace has historically been a centre of power, serving as the seat of government during Sudan’s British colonial period. It was also where Sudan’s independent flag was first raised in 1956. Before the conflict, it housed the offices of the president and other top officials.
The Sudanese military has long targeted the palace and its surroundings, subjecting it to shelling and heavy fire.
UN halts food aid to famine-hit Sudan displacement camp
Sudan’s Long History of Unrest and Conflict
Located in northeastern Africa, Sudan has faced persistent instability since a popular uprising led to the ousting of longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A brief transition to democracy was halted in 2021 when Burhan and Dagalo orchestrated a military coup.
The RSF and Sudan’s military eventually turned against each other in 2023.
Since early this year, Burhan’s forces—including Sudan’s military and allied militias—have advanced against the RSF, recapturing a crucial oil refinery north of Khartoum before launching attacks on RSF positions around the capital. The conflict has resulted in a growing number of civilian casualties.
Al-Bashir faces charges at the International Criminal Court for orchestrating a genocidal campaign in the early 2000s in the western Darfur region, using the Janjaweed militia, the RSF’s precursor. The U.N. and human rights organisations accuse the RSF and allied Arab militias of targeting ethnic African communities in the current war.
Both the Sudanese military and the RSF have been accused of human rights violations since the conflict began. Before leaving office, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration declared that the RSF was committing genocide.
Both sides deny any wrongdoing.