On Friday, the Sudanese army intensified its siege on the RSF militia in the Salha suburb, located in the far southwest of Khartoum State, forcing some RSF fighters to retreat to pockets under their control in western White Nile State.
Over the past 48 hours, the army increased its artillery bombardment from positions in Omdurman and Khartoum toward RSF strongholds in Salha, south of Omdurman.
Abu Aqla Kikel, commander of the Sudan Shield Forces allied with the army, appeared with soldiers and officers aboard a ferry, threatening to storm RSF positions in Salha.
According to field sources from the army who spoke to Sudan Tribune, three army convoys and allied fighters are surrounding RSF forces in Salha and nearby pockets in the northwestern parts of White Nile State.
The sources explained that two convoys are advancing toward Salha from the north and northwest of Omdurman—one along the White Nile and the other from a western flanking route.
A third convoy, comprising army forces and allied units, is moving northward from western White Nile State, parallel to the river, aiming to “clear out” RSF pockets west of Al-Duwaym city and then advance toward Salha.
If these forces converge, the RSF will be forced to withdraw from Khartoum and White Nile states to North Kordofan—potentially paving the way for declaring Khartoum State free of RSF presence.
Field sources confirmed that RSF elements in Salha, under pressure from advancing army units, have retreated toward the villages of Al-‘Alaqah, Sheikh Al-Sadiq, and Al-Jumu’iyyah—areas on the northwestern edge of White Nile State.
