What Does the Sudanese Army’s Control of the Republican Palace Mean?

Report by Fath Al-Rahman Shabarqa

In a significant turning point in Sudan’s ongoing war, the Sudanese Army regained control of the Republican Palace, the seat of the Sudanese presidency and a symbol of sovereignty in Khartoum, on the morning of Friday. The palace had been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the first minutes of the conflict that began on April 15, 2023.

The Sudanese Army announced its full control of the palace. A statement from the army’s official spokesperson read:
“In an immortal heroic epic, our forces today crowned their successes in the Khartoum frontlines by crushing the remnants of the Al-Dagalo terrorist militia in central Khartoum, the Arab market, and the Republican Palace buildings.”

The area around the Republican Palace has witnessed fierce battles over the past months, during which the army managed to wrest control of both the old and new palace buildings after defeating the RSF, which lost one of its most strategically significant positions in central Khartoum.

Amid national jubilation sweeping across different segments of Sudanese society, a pressing question emerged about the significance of this military victory and its implications on multiple levels.

The Final Breaths

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, former Sudanese Army Chief of Staff General Hashim Abdel Muttalib stated that the army’s recapture of the Republican Palace signals that victory is near.

Abdel Muttalib explained that by regaining control of the palace—a symbol of sovereignty—the RSF lost a key strategic asset, both internally and externally.

He mentioned that a comprehensive plan is underway to liberate the remaining areas of Khartoum. He noted that the RSF’s operational activity, which was once offensive, has now been reduced to defensive measures, artillery shelling, and drone strikes aimed at maintaining a presence. “This means the enemy is breathing its last breaths,” he said.

Abdel Muttalib attributed the shift in RSF tactics to several factors, including the absence of key leaders—either killed or having fled to the Darfur region—declining morale, and a critical shortage of essential supplies such as weapons, ammunition, and fuel. He also noted that the RSF’s trademark strategy of rapid raids has been neutralized by the army’s simultaneous offensives on multiple fronts, which has significantly weakened the RSF both materially and psychologically.

The Beginning of the Countdown

Military and strategic expert Brigadier General Jamal Al-Shahid described the army’s control of the Republican Palace as a major strategic advancement, but not necessarily the end of the war. He stated that while the conflict has entered the countdown phase, a decisive victory will require completing military operations in the remaining areas of Kordofan and Darfur.

Al-Shahid told Al Jazeera Net that the next phase will be critical, and any further progress by the army could make ending the war a matter of time. He pointed out that the RSF is now in a weak defensive position but warned that they may resort to urban warfare tactics to prolong the conflict.

He emphasized that regaining the palace delivers a significant psychological blow to the RSF, as it gives the army a strong foothold in central Khartoum, facilitating further advances toward other strategically important sites. This development, he said, strengthens the government’s position and undermines RSF claims of controlling key state institutions.

Al-Shahid described the army’s success in imposing its authority over the Republican Palace as a major victory and a severe loss for the RSF. He argued that the army’s progress enhances its negotiating power in any future political settlement and will likely prompt regional and international actors to reassess their positions based on the new balance of power—particularly those who have supported or mediated in the conflict.

Neutralizing Command and Control Centers

In mid-March, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) vowed in a video posted on “X” that his forces would not abandon the palace. However, intense battles launched by the Sudanese Army around the palace forced many RSF fighters to retreat, as the palace had become increasingly vulnerable under the army’s tightening siege.

The Sudanese Army has shown determination to reclaim full control of Khartoum and the strategic sites lost since the war’s outset. It has intensified its air and artillery strikes, which have depleted RSF forces by neutralizing their command and control centers, signaling a significant weakening of the RSF’s field leadership.

Sudanese citizens anxiously followed the developments of the military operation in the vicinity of the Republican Palace—a site that holds great historical and national significance as a symbol of Sudanese sovereignty and independence.

Following the official announcement of the palace’s recapture, Sudanese social media and public forums erupted with celebrations. Many viewed the victory as a blow to Hemedti’s ambitions to seize power through military force, while others saw it as a sign that the army is on course to reclaim other areas in Khartoum still under RSF control.

Journalist and political analyst Magdy Abdel Aziz described the liberation of the Republican Palace as a victory of immense moral, strategic, and symbolic value. He noted that the palace is one of Sudan’s most important symbols of national sovereignty and historical legacy.

Abdel Aziz, who previously worked within the presidential protocol department at the palace, highlighted that the old and new palace buildings have long served as the seat of Sudan’s presidency through various constitutional eras since independence.

He revealed that the RSF, under Hemedti’s command, had been entrusted with protecting the palace but betrayed their fellow Republican Guard soldiers from the Sudanese Army, seizing the palace during the early stages of the conflict, looting its contents, and damaging its facilities until the army finally reclaimed it.

Abdel Aziz also noted that the Republican Palace houses Sudan’s largest presidential museum, which contains artifacts and relics from various historical periods. These include pieces dating back to the era of General Charles George Gordon, the British governor of Sudan, who was killed on the palace steps by Sudanese rebels in 1885, as well as items from the era of Lord Herbert Kitchener, who led the British invasion of Sudan in 1898, and relics from subsequent national governments and leaders.

Source: Al Jazeera Net