The protracted conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by former Sovereign Council deputy chairman Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has caused devastating consequences: tens of thousands of lives lost, millions displaced, and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
In a show of defiance and strength, Sudanese Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited the military’s central headquarters in Khartoum on Sunday for the first time since government forces broke a lengthy siege imposed by the RSF.
Accompanied by senior military officials, Burhan praised the “resilience and sacrifices” of the soldiers who defended the General Command through 20 months of siege. He reaffirmed his commitment to “eradicate” the RSF, pledging to pursue its fighters across the country without relent.
The general also commended ongoing military operations in several hotspots, including Khartoum’s twin cities of Omdurman and Bahri, as well as El Fasher in western Sudan, where intense clashes persist.
The General Command had been under RSF control since the conflict erupted in April 2023. The army’s announcement on Friday that it had lifted the blockade and regained parts of Khartoum marked a potential turning point in the two-year war. However, the RSF dismissed the army’s claims as mere “propaganda.”
Burhan’s visit to the recaptured headquarters underscored the military’s effort to reassert control over strategic locations. Meanwhile, the RSF faced further setbacks as one of its advisors resigned on Friday, citing the group’s targeting of civilians.
In a separate development, the RSF drew widespread condemnation following a drone attack on a Saudi-operated hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur – the last functioning medical facility in the area. In response, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an immediate end to attacks on healthcare infrastructure. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council have also strongly denounced the assault, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability.
