DUBAI: The Sudanese army seized full control of the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum on Friday, in what would be a major gain in a two-year-old conflict with a rival armed group that has threatened to partition the country.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said hours later that it remained in the vicinity of the palace, and that it had launched an attack that had killed dozens of army soldiers inside.

Army sources said the fighters were about 400 metres away. They said the army’s forces had suffered a drone attack that killed several soldiers as well as three journalists from state television.

The army had long been on the back foot, but has recently been making gains and has retaken territory from the RSF in the centre of the country.

Meanwhile, the RSF has consolidated control in the west, hardening battle lines and moving the country towards de facto partition. The RSF is working to set up a parallel government in areas it controls, although that is not expected to receive widespread international recognition.

The RSF rapidly seized the presidential palace in Khartoum, along with the rest of the city, after war broke out in April 2023 over the paramilitary’s integration into the armed forces.

The army shared videos of soldiers cheering on the palace grounds, its glass windows shattered and walls pockmarked with bullet holes. Images showed the cladding of the recently constructed palace torn off by explosions.Many Sudanese welcomed the army’s statement that it had control of the palace.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025