Sudan’s regular army has advanced to 500 meters from the presidential palace, intensifying combat against the paramilitary RSF. Recent victories include reclaiming areas in Khartoum while the humanitarian crisis worsens, with millions suffering from food insecurity and displacement across Sudan. Battles continue particularly in North Darfur, amplifying the need for urgent international support.
On Thursday, Sudan’s regular army advanced to within 500 meters of the presidential palace, which has been under the control of rival paramilitaries for nearly two years. Reports from agency journalists indicate significant explosions and gunfire across Khartoum, highlighting the intensifying conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to a military source, the army’s forces destroyed an RSF convoy of 30 vehicles as they attempted to retreat southward during these hostilities.
This escalation surrounds a strategic offensive by the army to reclaim regions of greater Khartoum lost to the RSF since the outbreak of war in April 2023. Soldiers advancing from the south have now merged with troops positioned in the city center, applying further pressure on the RSF. The power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and former deputy RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo has resulted in significant casualties and displacement, dividing Sudan into territories controlled by the army in the north and east, and the RSF in the west and south.
In Khartoum, the army has recently regained control of Khartoum North and the East Nile district, although RSF forces continue to maintain several positions within the capital and the adjoining city of Omdurman. Meanwhile, conflicts have escalated in North Darfur, particularly in El-Fasher, which has been under RSF siege since May of last year. This city remains the only state capital in Darfur not entirely governed by paramilitary forces, as the RSF seeks full dominance of the western region.
Despite the ongoing RSF shelling targeting nearby displacement camps such as Zamzam, where famine conditions are dire, the army and allied militias have successfully thwarted RSF attacks on El-Fasher. Local sources indicate that these attacks on the camps are perceived as retaliatory actions. The United Nations has estimated that approximately two million people in Sudan are experiencing extreme food insecurity, with 320,000 individuals already facing famine-like conditions. In North Darfur, around 1.7 million individuals have been displaced due to the ongoing violence, prompting Governor Minni Minnawi to declare that fierce battles are currently being fought against the RSF in Malha, a town near the borders of Libya and Chad.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to escalate, with the army making significant advances towards the presidential palace controlled by the RSF. As fighting intensifies, the humanitarian situation deteriorates further, with millions facing food insecurity and displacement. The power struggle between military factions exacerbates the suffering of the civilian population, underlining the dire need for a resolution to the conflict. The international community must closely monitor these developments and provide necessary assistance to the affected populations.
Original Source: www.dawn.com
