Sudanese Army gains ground in war with RSF, encircles Khartoum airport

The Sudanese Army has made significant strides in its ongoing conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), encircling Khartoum airport and surrounding areas, military sources confirmed to medias on March 27.

This marks another important gain for the Army in its two-year-long war against the RSF. The Army has also recently captured the Tiba Al-Hassanab camp in Jabal Awliya, which it claims to be the RSF’s main base in central Sudan and their last stronghold in Khartoum.

The army, which had been on the defensive for much of the conflict, has recently reversed some of the RSF’s advances, retaking key territories in central Sudan. Last Friday, the army secured the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum, further consolidating its hold on the capital. Witnesses have reported that the RSF forces, which are mainly stationed in southern Khartoum, are preparing for a retreat, with plans to withdraw via bridges to Omdurman, a city neighbouring Khartoum.

The conflict, which erupted two years ago as Sudan was transitioning towards democratic rule, has caused widespread devastation and is now described by the United Nations as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. With famine, disease, and ongoing violence, the country, home to 50 million people, is facing a dire situation. The war began after a tense alliance between the army and RSF, which had joined forces to remove longtime president Omar Al-Bashir from power in 2019. However, the two factions soon fell out, leading to the current violent struggle for control of Sudan.