Authors: Ali Mahmoud Ali; Jalale Getachew Birru; Nohad Eltayeb
After 23 months of war, on 21 March, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its allies regained control of the presidential palace in central Khartoum, along with all the ministries and government buildings surrounding it. As the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops withdrew from Khartoum city — a move the group called strategic — the SAF announced full control of Sudan’s tri-city capital on 26 March.1 The recapture of Khartoum city thus marks a watershed moment in the conflict: The SAF has now gained the upper hand, particularly in central Sudan.
Though Khartoum’s fall may seem to have unfolded quickly to casual observers, it represents the culmination of an offensive that began at the end of September 2024 with coordinated attacks on RSF-held positions in the tri-cities of Khartoum state — Bahri, Omdurman, and Khartoum cities. The SAF also recaptured the capital cities of Sennar and al-Jazirah states, forcing the RSF into an increasingly defensive position in Khartoum. The SAF’s campaign eventually ousted the RSF from central Sudan, breaking their siege on several SAF bases in Khartoum, Sennar, and North Kordofan states and cutting vital supply routes, leaving RSF troops surrounded by the SAF in central Khartoum. Overall, since the offensive began, the SAF and its allies have regained over 430 locations across central and southern Sudan (see map below).