Intense fighting erupted on Tuesday in Omdurman, the sister city of Khartoum, as Sudan’s regular army launched what it described as a “large-scale” assault against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), aiming to reclaim their final strongholds in the capital region.
Loud explosions shook the area as the RSF, which had previously withdrawn to Omdurman after losing control of Khartoum in March, clashed with army units, according to an AFP correspondent on the ground.
The Sudanese military confirmed the offensive, declaring its objective was to eliminate the RSF presence from Khartoum state altogether. “We are pressing a large-scale operation and we are close to clearing the whole of Khartoum state from dirty thugs,” said army spokesman Nabil Abdallah in a statement.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has pitted the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the RSF commanded by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The power struggle between the two former allies has devastated the country.
In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified its campaign by launching a series of drone attacks, with a particular focus on Port Sudan, the current seat of government control and the army’s operational headquarters.
“The magnitude of these drone attacks represents a major escalation in the conflict, with alarming implications for civilian protection,” warned Radhouane Nouicer, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s expert on Sudan, in a statement on Monday.
He added that “the recurrent attacks on critical infrastructure place civilian lives at risk, worsen the humanitarian crisis, and undermine basic human rights.” Nouicer also noted that Port Sudan’s airport and other heavily populated areas had been among the RSF’s primary targets.
The ongoing war has plunged Sudan into what the United Nations has called the world’s most severe humanitarian disaster. The conflict has effectively divided the country: the Sudanese army holds the north, east, and central regions, while the RSF maintains control over most of Darfur and parts of the south.
Casualty figures continue to mount, with tens of thousands dead and an estimated 13 million people displaced from their homes. More than three million have fled Sudan entirely, seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.
The war has also brought Sudan’s already weakened healthcare system to the brink of collapse. According to the World Health Organisation, up to 90 percent of hospitals have at one point shut down due to the fighting. The Sudanese doctors’ union reports that numerous health facilities have been bombed, looted, or occupied by armed groups.
Civilians, especially women and girls, face harrowing conditions. UN experts have documented widespread human rights violations by the RSF, including gang rape, sexual slavery, and targeted killings.
As the violence in Omdurman intensifies, Sudan continues to descend deeper into chaos, with no clear resolution in sight.
