Sudan government troops recaptured the presidential palace and a number of official buildings in the capital Khartoum, marking a big turning point in the civil war in the country.
After many days of fierce fighting, the Sudan Army (SAF) was loyal to General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the actual leader of this country, on March 21 to retake the presidential palace from the former allies under the Military Sales Organization for fast supporting force (RSF). Taking advantage of the victory, SAF then continued to recapture a number of other public buildings in Khartoum, including the central bank headquarters.
These developments marked a big turning point in the civil war that lasted for nearly two years in Sudan. If SAF can maintain the control of the capital Khartoum, General Burhan will have conditions to establish a transition government and seek more recognition from the international community.
“The Sudan Army can achieve a huge political motivation and symbolic value by re -control of the capital,” said Suliman Baldo, a veteran expert on conflict settlement and the conductor of the Institute for research monitoring policies and Sudan transparency.
Sudan soldiers celebrated at the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum on March 21. Image: AP
The image posted by the media showed Sudan’s army to celebrate beside the broken windows, clearly demonstrating the great damage that the capital Khartoum had suffered from the civil war.
“Everyone has no place to return because their home is now only walls,” Baldo said.
Fighting broke out in 2023 at the Khartoum center due to the power competition between SAF and RSF, the force led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Before pointing guns at each other, SAF and RSF used to be an ally to overthrow the government to the top of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The government was established after the revolution, causing three decades of the former President Omar Al-Bashir to end in 2019.
In the first months of the civil war, SAF was constantly suffering from failure and had to withdraw to the port city of Port Sudan located close to the red sea. But since September 2024, this force has recaptured many territories and most of the capital Khartoum.
Observers said that the reason for the reversal battlefield was SAF that allied with the Islamic Brigades to support the old regime, supplied heavy weapons and successfully penetrated some parts of the RSF. RSF’s decline in fighting spirit can also be another factor.
Sudan soldiers in front of the presidential palace in Khartoum on March 21. Image: AP
“They were very successful in their efforts to re -equip and supplement the aircraft aircraft aircraft (drone) from Türkiye, as well as China and Russia -produced fighters. Meanwhile, RSF has difficulty maintaining the supplies from the United Arab kingdoms (UAE) and going through Chad, Libya,” Cameron Hudson, African Horn Research Center (CSIS), stated CSIS) opinion.
However, the war in the capital Khartoum has not ended. The counterattack on March 21 of RSF left a high -ranking military spokesman and some soldiers died at the Palace of the General Palace, while the members of the semi -military forces were continuing to resist in some areas in the south of the city.
Fighting is also continuing outside the capital Khartoum. RSF is said to have captured an outpost in the desert in North Darfur state, cutting off the supplies to the city of El Fasher, where SAF’s allies are surrounded. This development shows that Sudan can be agreed for a long time.
“If the army re -control the entire Khartoum capital, this is not necessarily good for Sudan’s future because they do not care about the Darfur region,” Nour Babiker, the exile politician of the opposition party Sudan Congress in a peaceful way.
The Darfur region is located in the west of Sudan and is divided into 5 states, including North Darfur. RSF still controls most of the Western Sudan and most Darfur.
Babiker refers to the idea that after controlling the capital, SAF may not want to or could not afford to continue fighting in the western provinces. The winning of the capital Khartoum can also cause the force to reduce the motivation for negotiations with RSF, making Sudan at risk of continuing to be divided for a long time.
Common people will be the most hurting party if the current situation continues. Up to now, the Civil War has killed at least 28,000 people in Sudan and killed 12 million, equivalent to nearly 1/4 of the population, having to leave the house. Hunger has also begun to appear in some areas.
People hide at a school after being evacuated by the Sudan army from Omdurman on March 23. Image: AP
Both sides are said to have taken brutal acts in the war. In recent months, SAFs and allied militia groups accused of murdering common people based on the areas they controlled.
RSF, originally derived as Arab Janjaweed militia, was accused of committing war crimes, which were also said to have caused heavy losses for civilians in the process of withdrawing troops.
“They have a habit of taking revenge on civilians when retreating,” Hudson said.
For General Burhan, the immediate challenge is to restore order and basic services in Khartoum, while ensuring that it can provide adequate food, drinking water and other necessities when people begin to return to the city.
Another challenge is to find ways to attract necessary support from the international community for the rebirth process of the country, while maintaining the solidarity between the forces of subordinates.
The recent SAF victories have made great contributions from the hard -backed Islamic faction to support the old regime, who are still supported by a part of the people. However, Western countries and Egypt and Saudi Arabia, two allies of SAF in the Middle East, do not want this side to return to the government. However, General Burhan may also face backlash if deciding to eliminate them from the power system.
“I don’t think the alliance will be broken right now because the war has not ended, but it’s just a matter of time,” Baldo said.