By Daily News Staff
As March closes, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), stood defiantly outside the Republican Palace in Khartoum, fist raised in triumph. The symbolism was unmistakable: the SAF had driven the feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the heart of the capital, signaling a dramatic shift in a war that has gripped Sudan since April 15, 2023.
Now entering its third year, the brutal conflict between Sudan’s de facto leader, al-Burhan, and his once-ally-turned-rival, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, has left the nation in ruins. But analysts agree—the SAF’s reclamation of Khartoum marks a pivotal moment in the bloody saga.
“Khartoum’s recapture is a watershed moment,” analysts at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project noted, emphasizing that the SAF has gained a dominant foothold in central Sudan. The victory followed a relentless six-month military campaign launched in September 2024 to cut off RSF supply routes and dismantle its presence in the capital.
Since the start of that offensive, the SAF and allied militias have reclaimed over 430 locations across central and southern Sudan, according to ACLED. Research analyst Mariam Wahba, writing for The Long War Journal, described the RSF’s ouster from Khartoum as one of several stinging defeats that have forced the group into a largely defensive posture.
However, the RSF has responded with increasing brutality. As their forces retreated across the Nile into Omdurman, they shelled densely populated neighborhoods, leaving a trail of civilian casualties. Reports of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, and targeted attacks on vulnerable communities have surged.
In mid-April, the horror escalated when RSF fighters decimated the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons in North Darfur, reportedly killing hundreds of civilians and scattering thousands more. Observers called the attack a chilling act of obliteration, emblematic of the RSF’s scorched-earth tactics.
The humanitarian toll is catastrophic. The United Nations estimates that more than 12 million people—roughly one in four Sudanese—have fled their homes. Over 3 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries like Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Those left behind face a collapsing healthcare system and the uncontrolled spread of diseases such as cholera, dengue, malaria, and measles.
Cholera alone has claimed 1,500 lives, while half of the population now depends on humanitarian aid. But with funding shortfalls and access blocked by both warring factions, large swathes of Sudan remain unreachable. Starvation looms, especially in conflict zones where aid has become a weapon of war.
“Without immediate assistance, especially in famine or famine-risk areas, thousands of lives are at risk,” warned Makena Walker, acting country director of the World Food Programme in Sudan.
Among the most heart-wrenching statistics: 146,000 children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year—making them up to 11 times more likely to die than their healthy peers.
Despite these horrors, the SAF’s resurgence has been fueled by several key developments. According to ACLED analysts, al-Burhan’s forces have successfully recruited thousands of new fighters, closed the manpower gap, and gained crucial support from local militias disgusted by the RSF’s atrocities. Internal divisions within the RSF, combined with the SAF’s access to advanced Turkish-made Bayraktar drones, have further tipped the scales.
But Hemedti has not backed down. On April 16, the RSF leader announced the formation of a rival government in RSF-controlled territory, dubbed the “Government of Peace and Unity.” The declaration torpedoed the most recent round of peace talks, which collapsed in London amid a geopolitical impasse between SAF allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and RSF backer the United Arab Emirates.
Al-Burhan, unwavering in his stance, has dismissed all calls for negotiation. “We are continuing on the path to victory until we cleanse every inch of the country [of RSF fighters],” he declared following the SAF’s victory in Khartoum.
Yet some experts warn that triumph may be illusionary.
“There is no military solution,” said Mohy Omer of the National Democratic Institute in an interview with Al Jazeera. “The past two years have proven that. The only way forward is through direct negotiations between these two fighting armies, brokered by the international community.”
As Sudan burns and the death toll climbs, the world watches anxiously—hoping that diplomacy might yet extinguish the fires of war that have turned a nation into a graveyard.
PIONEER NEWS 