World
Sudan’s military says it has seized control of presidential palace
Sudan’s military has said it has retaken the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the last heavily guarded bastion of rival paramilitary forces in the capital, after nearly two years of fighting.
The current conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023 when a power struggle between the leaders of the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) boiled over into open fighting in Khartoum and other cities.
Social media videos showed the military’s soldiers inside on the 21st day of Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month.
Sudanese army members inside the presidential palace. Pic: X/Reuters
A Sudanese military officer wearing a captain’s epaulettes made the announcement in a video and confirmed the troops were inside the compound.
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The palace appeared to be partly in ruins, with soldiers’ steps crunching broken tiles underneath their boots.
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Soldiers carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers chanted: “God is the greatest!”
Sudan’s information minister said the military had retaken the palace in a post on X.
“Today the flag is raised, the palace is back and the journey continues until victory is complete,” he wrote.
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The Republican Palace was the seat of government before the war erupted and is immortalised on Sudanese banknotes and postage stamps.
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Its recapture by the military marks another gain for Sudan’s military which has made steady advances in recent months.
The rival RSF has been mostly expelled from the capital of Khartoum after Sudan’s war began in April 2023.
Gunfire was heard in the capital overnight on Friday, although whether this was from fighting or celebrations is unclear.
The RSF hasn’t acknowledged the loss of the presidential palace but the group still holds territory elsewhere in Sudan so fighting is likely to continue.
The war has killed more than 28,000 people, according to UN figures, and forced millions to flee their homes.
Families have been left eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive a famine that is sweeping through parts of the country.