The Sudanese army announced on Tuesday that it has recaptured the last strongholds of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital, Khartoum, and White Nile State.
Army spokesperson Nabil Abdullah declared, “The armed forces have regained full control of Khartoum State,” confirming that it is now free of any RSF presence. This announcement follows the army’s advance in the Salha area south of Omdurman after intense battles, during which it also established control over the villages of Al-Jumaiya and Al-Muwailih, located south and west of the city.
Simultaneously, the RSF launched artillery strikes targeting several areas in Omdurman. Video footage released by the army showed the discovery of decomposed bodies inside coffins in areas previously held by the RSF in Salha, which were recently recaptured by the military.
Since Monday, the army has launched a major ground operation targeting the remaining RSF positions south and west of Omdurman, west of Khartoum. The army also seized weapons and ammunition depots in Salha, previously a key RSF stronghold. RSF leaders had vowed to regroup in Salha and launch counterattacks after losing control of Khartoum.
Discovery of Decomposed Bodies and Colombian Mercenary IDs
Sources indicated that the army found identification cards belonging to Colombian mercenaries in the areas it recaptured south of Omdurman. This follows previous reports from November when joint armed movements supporting the army found IDs of Colombian fighters killed in battles at the border triangle between Sudan, Chad, and Libya. At the time, the Colombian government expressed regret, stating it was surprised by the involvement of its nationals in the Sudanese conflict and described such actions as “irresponsible” and not representative of official policy or the Colombian people.
Military Deployment and Humanitarian Impact
The army has deployed heavily in several neighborhoods of the Salha area since early Tuesday. On April 27, the Sudanese Doctors’ Network reported that the RSF executed 31 civilians, including children, in Salha, accusing them of army affiliation and preventing families from burying the bodies for days.
As the RSF retreated and the army advanced in Khartoum, the RSF attempted to regroup in Salha to reclaim lost positions. However, the army ultimately regained the area in what was described as the “final meters battle,” announcing that the capital was free of RSF forces after two years of fierce fighting12710.
White Nile State Cleared of RSF
On Tuesday evening, Sudanese authorities announced that White Nile State in the south was also free of RSF forces after regaining control of the Um Ramta district in the northwest of the state. Governor Qamar al-Din Muhammad Fadl congratulated the army and residents on liberating Um Ramta and returning it to government control, declaring White Nile State free of RSF militias.
He noted that the liberation coincided with army and security forces’ victories across all operational fronts. Army soldiers released videos showing their control over villages in White Nile State and the destruction of remaining RSF forces. A field commander appeared in a video declaring the complete clearing of White Nile State and its villages.
As of 20:30 GMT, the RSF had not commented on the army’s advances in White Nile State. In recent days, areas west of the White Nile in White Nile State, bordering Khartoum to the north and North Kordofan to the east, have witnessed clashes between the army and RSF.
Wider Conflict and Remaining RSF Presence
Over recent weeks, RSF-controlled areas in Sudan have been shrinking as the army’s victories have expanded to include Khartoum and White Nile State. In the remaining 16 states, the RSF now controls only parts of North and West Kordofan, pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and four out of Darfur’s five states1279.
The war between the army and RSF, ongoing since April 2023, has resulted in over 20,000 deaths and displaced around 15 million people, according to the UN and local authorities, with some academic estimates placing the death toll at about 130,000
