KHARTOUM, SUDAN — The Sudanese army has announced the recapture of Khartoum’s airport from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking a significant territorial gain in the ongoing two-year civil war.
Gen Mohamed Abdel Rahman al-Bilawi, commander of the operation in eastern Khartoum, informed the BBC that troops have fully secured the airport and anticipate clearing the remaining RSF fighters from the area by the day’s end.
The takeover comes a day after the army was accused of one of the war’s deadliest air strikes, killing at least 270 people in a market in the western Darfur region, according to eyewitnesses.
This development follows the army’s rapid advance, which included the recapture of the presidential palace on Friday and the seizure of state institutions previously held by the RSF.
The RSF had maintained control over much of Khartoum since the war’s outbreak in April 2023, a conflict that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
An army spokesperson also reported the recapture of Manshiya Bridge, the last RSF-held bridge, and a military camp in Jebel Awliya, the group’s stronghold in southern Khartoum.
He stated that the army now controls all bridges across the River Nile connecting the three cities of Greater Khartoum.
Residents have reported a southward retreat of RSF fighters towards Jebel Awliya, their remaining exit point. Social media videos depict scenes of celebration in central Khartoum following the army’s advance, marking the end of what residents describe as a brutal RSF occupation.
Reports from those unable to flee Khartoum detail mass looting by RSF fighters, who have occupied civilian homes.
The UN has identified Khartoum as one of the regions facing near-famine conditions due to looted markets and aid restrictions imposed by both warring factions.
Rights groups have documented widespread human rights abuses, including sexual violence. Both the RSF and the army have been accused of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, with a recent air force bombing of a market reportedly resulting in dozens of civilian casualties.
The military-led government, which relocated to Port Sudan on the Red Sea following the RSF’s initial seizure of Khartoum, views the recapture of the capital as a significant strategic advantage.
However, the conflict remains far from resolved, as the RSF continues to control nearly all of the Darfur region in western Sudan. Both sides receive substantial foreign military support, and international peace efforts have thus far proven unsuccessful.
