The Sudanese army has launched a major military offensive in the city of Omdurman in Khartoum state to wrestle control of areas from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group with which it has been battling for the nation’s control for two years.
The offensive is aimed at reclaiming key positions in the city from the RSF such as the Al Nusur army camp and cut the group’s supply lines as the army seeks to shift the tide of the ongoing conflict.
In March, the army successfully retook control of the presidential palace in Khartoum, one of three cities in Khartoum state that make the capital, marking a major victory in its two-year battle against the RSF.
It has vowed to continue its push westward towards other areas held by the RSF, aiming to further weaken the paramilitary force’s presence in the capital and the entire Khartoum state.
In a separate operation, the army has reportedly recaptured the town of Al Silik and a military base in Blue Nile state.
The army alleges that the RSF’s sophisticated weapons are provided by the United Arab Emirates, an accusation both the group and Abu Dhabi have dismissed.
As the Sudanese conflict enters its third year in mid-April, the civilian population has borne the brunt of the war, which has created one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world.
The army’s recent victories in Khartoum and elsewhere mark a potential turning point, but the RSF’s retaliatory assaults suggest the war is far from over.
