The Palace… A Symbol of Sovereignty Returns to the Nation’s Embrace
Sudan Events – Report
On Friday morning, the Sudanese army succeeded in liberating the Republican Palace in central Khartoum from the grip of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
For days, the army had been engaged in fierce battles in central Khartoum, aiming to reclaim control over the presidential palace. These battles resulted in the defeat and expulsion of the militia.
Liberation and Pursuit
A military source in the Sudanese army stated that “the army took full control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum on Friday morning.” According to Al Jazeera, the source confirmed that the army is currently pursuing RSF militia forces within the Arab Market in central Khartoum.
The source explained that the army initially seized control of the eastern gate of the Republican Palace, prompting the RSF militia to withdraw toward the Arab Market.
Fierce Battles
From Wednesday morning until early Thursday, the army fought intense battles with the RSF militia around the palace.
The army imposed a tight siege, making escape impossible for the militia fighters. Drones and artillery struck down anyone attempting to flee in central Khartoum. On Wednesday night, the militia fighters experienced their worst night in central Khartoum when drones destroyed their fleeing combat vehicles near Stak Laboratory, leaving the bodies of militia fighters scattered along Palace Street.
Urban Warfare
According to sources, the army engaged in street battles with the RSF militia in central Khartoum and around the Republican Palace on Thursday afternoon. This coincided with reports of unofficial negotiations with the besieged militia fighters, aimed at securing their surrender without conditions.
Strategic Motivations
The battle for the Republican Palace was fought with open lines of communication and a strong determination to resolve it before the end of Ramadan, allowing the army to shift focus to the Darfur front. Experts suggest that the army plans to launch large-scale military operations in Darfur before the militia declares its own government.
Meanwhile, the militia fighters in the Republican Palace were fighting to survive. The forces inside the palace and central Khartoum faced the grim fate of either annihilation or surrender, as withdrawal was no longer an option after the army sealed off all escape routes. Experts predict a potential massacre of the militia fighters if they persist in fighting to the last man, similar to the earlier bloodshed at the radio station — or possibly worse.
During the palace battles, the army intercepted a water tanker on Tuesday night attempting to deliver drinking water to the forces around the palace, indicating that the militia was even suffering from a shortage of water. With all routes to and from the Republican Palace under the army’s control, the militia faces a stark choice between surrender and delayed death or continuing to fight and facing swift death.
Ongoing Battles
A reporter from Al Arabiya revealed in a broadcast report that clashes between the army and the RSF militia had resumed around the Republican Palace in Khartoum. The channel reported that the palace vicinity was witnessing street battles amid a complete siege by the army after it neutralized several buildings that the RSF militia had been using for cover.
According to follow-ups, the army has tightened its grip around the palace from all directions. Army forces are stationed to the east in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, about 100 meters east of the palace, and to the south at the Meridian Hotel at the intersection of Palace Street with Al-Sayed Abdul Rahman Street. The army has also secured Palace Street entirely up to the palace’s outer gate and neutralized the Gold Building, the Grand Mosque, and all routes leading west from Palace Street. Meanwhile, the army monitors the Blue Nile from Bahri, which overlooks the palace from the north.
Military leaders told Sudanese Echo newspaper that liberating the Republican Palace from the rebel militia was only a matter of time, emphasizing that the army holds the initiative and control over the conflict.
Sources revealed that the army had successfully destroyed the militia’s last attempt to break the siege around the palace. The RSF had gathered mercenaries from the Salama, Al-Azhari, and Al-Sameer neighborhoods, along with forces that had fled from East Nile. Early Tuesday morning, the militia launched a major attack on army positions in central Khartoum and the Arab Market using all available weapons, including drones, artillery, and mercenaries. The aim was to open a corridor linking their forces in the Republican Palace with those in Salama, Al-Azhari, and Al-Sahafa. However, the attack ended in a crushing defeat, inflicting heavy casualties on the militia in both fighters and equipment. The bodies of militia fighters currently litter the streets of central Khartoum, making them difficult to count.
Al-Ahdath + Sudanese Echo
