Sudan’s army has launched a major offensive in the capital, Khartoum.
The Sudanese army announced significant progress in the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city, Omdurman, on Thursday after launching a major ground offensive. This offensive is part of a larger effort to regain control of the two cities following months of conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to sources speaking to Sudan Tribune, army infantry units crossed bridges over the Nile River from Omdurman into Khartoum and Khartoum Bahri in the early hours of Thursday. They were supported by air strikes and artillery fire. The army managed to secure new positions in both cities, including key entrances and strategic areas in Khartoum Bahri.
Progress was also reported on the Fitihab and Medical Corps bridge axes connecting Omdurman and Khartoum. However, the RSF remained entrenched in certain areas, such as the Zain Tower in central Khartoum.
Despite the army’s claims of gaining new positions, the RSF denied any army advances, stating that they had repelled attempts to cross the bridges. RSF fighters even shared videos online showing their presence in central Khartoum.
The push by the army, which lost control of most of the capital at the start of the conflict, came hours before Al-Burhan addressed the UN meeting.
Al-burhan told the General Assembly that he supported efforts to end the war in Sudan if they brought an end to the “occupation” of territory by the RSF. He said some states in the region were providing funding and fighters to the RSF, although he did not name any country.
Meanwhile UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also raised concerns about the escalating conflict during a meeting with Al-Burhan at the UN General Assembly in New York. Guterres highlighted the devastating impact on Sudanese civilians and the risk of regional instability due to the conflict.
It is remembered that the conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 when tensions between army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo erupted into violence.
The conflict has displaced over 10 million people, with 8.1 million displaced inside Sudan and two million fleeing the country, according to the United Nations reports.