Sudan’s army chief says 'Khartoum is free' amid gains
Baku, March 27, AZERTAC
Sudan's de facto ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Wednesday triumphantly declared "Khartoum is free" as two years of civil war against the RSF paramilitary came a small step closer to ending, DW reported.
"It is over," said Burhan as he spoke at the presidential palace earlier in the day before arriving at the city's airport to celebrate with troops.
The Sudanese military reported taking control of Khartoum International Airport as well as a key RSF base in the city earlier in the day.
Though observers have documented government advances against the RSF rebels, who captured the capital in April 2023, Burhan's declaration could not be independently confirmed.
Moreover, the recapture of the capital by no means signals an immediate end to the civil war. Though government forces have made advances in Khartoum and central Sudan, RSF fighters still control large swaths of land across the country, notably in the western Darfur region.
With government forces now seemingly in control of the capital and central Sudan, and RSF entrenched in the west, observers fear a stand-off that could result in a partitioning of the country.
Above all, that is dismal news for Sudan's citizens. The UN has called the situation in Sudan the "world's worst humanitarian crisis" with fighting, widespread famine and disease forcing some 12.5 million of Sudan's 46 million citizens to flee.
Death tolls, both as a result of fighting and the humanitarian crisis, are estimated to be between 60,000 and 150,000.
Sudan's civil war erupted two years ago as the country sought to transition to democracy. The history of relations between government forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) goes back further, however, to a time when they were allies.
Created by Islamist leader Omar al-Bashir as a counterweight to the army, the RSF and army joined forces to oust the autocrat in 2019.
Bashir built the RSF from the country's Janjaweed militias and appointed Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, to lead the paramilitary outfit. The army was led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The two groups fought alongside one another in Darfur under Bashir's leadership in the years prior and staged a coup together in 2021, derailing Sudan's democratic transition when the international community backed a plan that would have seen both cede power to a civilian government.
Although the army was better equipped, RSF fighters were able to entrench themselves in the capital, for instance, before launching brutal offensives that allowed it to overrun Khartoum.
Experts and diplomats have long contended that RSF is receiving support from the United Arab Emirates via neighboring Chad, something all three countries deny.
