Sudan’s military says it has retaken the Republican Palace in Khartoum after two brutal years of civil war. The compound along the Nile River was the seat of government and residence of the president before the war erupted.
Social media videos showed soldiers inside marking Friday as the 21st day of Ramadan. The palace appeared to be partly in ruins. Soldiers’ steps crunched broken tiles underneath their boots.
Khaled al-Aiser is Sudan’s information minister. He wrote on social media, “Today the flag is raised, the palace is back, and the journey continues until victory is complete.”
The palace is surrounded by government ministries. It is also near Khartoum’s airport, which the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has held since the start of the war in 2023. Seizing the palace represents a major symbolic victory for Sudan’s army against the RSF. But it doesn’t likely mean an end to the war. The RSF holds territory in the Darfur region and elsewhere.
Late Thursday, the RSF claimed it seized control of al-Maliha, a strategic desert city in North Darfur near the borders of Chad and Libya. Sudan’s military has acknowledged fighting around al-Maliha but has not said it lost the city.
Suleiman Sandal is a politician associated with the RSF. He acknowledged the government took the palace. He called it part of “the ups and downs” of history.
The RSF later issued a statement claiming its forces “are still present in the vicinity of the area, fighting bravely.” A drone attack on the palace is believed to have been launched by the rebel group. It reportedly killed troops and Sudanese state television journalists.
The northeastern African nation has been unstable since 2019. At that time, a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir. There was a short-lived transition to democracy. But it was derailed by a military coup led by Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in 2021. In 2023, the two began fighting each other for control.
Burhan is Sudan’s army general and leads the fight against the RSF, which is headed by Dagalo. Burhan’s forces have advanced since the start of this year.
The head of the UN children’s agency says the conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. UNICEF on Friday condemned the looting of food aid meant to go to malnourished children at Al Bashir Hospital on the outskirts of Khartoum.
Tragically, more than 28,000 people have died due to the war. It has forced millions to flee their homes. Famine sweeps parts of the country. Some families eat grass in a desperate attempt to survive.
Both the Sudanese military and the RSF have faced allegations of human rights abuses since the war began. In early January, the U.S. State Department declared that the RSF is committing genocide. The military and the RSF deny committing abuses.
Pray leaders in Sudan will work towards lasting peace. Ask God to provide for those impacted by the brutality of war.
