Bahri… The End of the Dreams of the Al-Deglo Family in Sudan

Sudan Events – Agencies
The Sudanese army announced on Wednesday the complete cleansing of Old Bahri City, marking the widest opening of its kind in the history of ground battles in Sudan. The army succeeded, over the course of four months and two days since it crossed the bridges on September 26th, in clearing the entire Bahri City, from the areas of Hajar al-Asal in the south, to the Kober Bridge in the north, and from the river to the west to Al-Inqadh Street in the east, with only some areas remaining in the neighborhoods of Kober, Kafouri, and Al-Azba.
The Big Collapse:
While, about a month ago, the army was advancing just a few meters per day in several fronts of Bahri, it managed to expand its progress from the International Hospital to the Kober Bridge. This included areas like Hilla Hamad, Khawadli, the Qatari neighborhoods, and the central station within a few hours, signaling that the strategy the army devised to liberate the city focused primarily on destroying the militia’s strength, rather than gaining ground. The army’s focus was more on linking the advancing troops with the Signal Corps, which military observers view as the key to the Battle of Bahri’s liberation. This connection accelerated the collapse of the militia, which quickly fled the city as the forces reached the Signal Corps.
The Importance of Bahri:
Bahri is of great importance to the armed forces. According to military observers, it represents the correct entry point for strangling the militia between the two Niles within the city of Khartoum. It also contributes to securing Omdurman and reducing the artillery shelling that mostly came from Shambat and Halfaya. Liberating Bahri, according to observers, will lead to the liberation of East Nile, where the militia will have nowhere safe to hide, especially after the armies advanced east of Khartoum and secured the Manshia Bridge from the direction of Berri.
The Palace Awaits:
With the announcement of Bahri’s liberation and the army reaching Kober Bridge, attention began to shift toward the Presidential Palace, which is just a few meters away from the bridge. Meanwhile, confirmed reports indicated that the militia had fled from Tuti Island. Experts speculated that the army would cross the river from Bahri and seize the island, which would help in tightening the militia’s grip in central Khartoum and facilitate the entry of the forces into the Presidential Palace. Observers believe the army may advance toward the palace from the west by taking control of Tuti, from the east via the General Command through the University and Nile Streets, and from the south by the river.
The End of the Khartoum Battle:
With the militia losing Bahri, and earlier Omdurman, it seems militarily unrealistic for them to remain stationed solely in Khartoum city. Their position in a geographically narrow and naturally surrounded area on three sides, with the army inside and outside of it, is a deadly trap and a poor military position to hold, according to military experts. Experts suggest that the liberation of Bahri signals the imminent liberation of the entire Khartoum State in a relatively short time. They argue that the swift territorial gains by the army were not due to the militia’s withdrawal, but because the army had, according to well-studied plans, controlled strategic and hard-to-reach areas where the militia had a significant presence. This made it easier for the army to advance into other areas. The fierce battles the army fought to connect with the Signal Corps are cited as proof, as the army understood that this connection would lead to the city’s liberation, which indeed occurred with minimal losses. From this standpoint, observers interpret the liberation of Bahri as a major step toward the liberation of Khartoum, which begins with the control of the Presidential Palace.
Conclusion:
The liberation of Bahri, as announced by the army yesterday, will be the spearhead in the battle for the full liberation of Khartoum State, which may take no more than a month, according to observers. Key factors include the high morale of the army and the terror enveloping the militia’s forces. This fear has driven them to flee hysterically toward Jabal Awlia and pay millions of pounds to cross to the other bank, silently declaring the end of the dreams of the Al-Deglo family in ruling Sudan.
Adapted from “Sudanese Echoes”