An iconic office tower located in the heart of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, has been engulfed in flames as the conflict between the army and a rival paramilitary group enters its sixth month. The Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC) Tower, a prominent structure in downtown Khartoum, caught fire early on Sunday during clashes involving the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as reported by Sudanese media. The cause of the fire and any casualties remain unclear.
Online videos of the incident depict billowing dark smoke rising from the charred remains of the glass tower, which stands as one of the tallest buildings in Khartoum.
The recent bouts of violence in the capital have resulted in three significant landmark towers in the Al Mugran district being consumed by fire: GNPOC, the Ministry of Justice, and the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organisation.
Sudan has been marred by conflict since mid-April, when tensions between the country’s military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, escalated into open hostilities.
This protracted conflict has transformed Khartoum into an urban battleground. RSF forces have taken over civilian residences in Greater Khartoum, converting them into operational bases, while the military has responded with airstrikes on residential areas, according to reports from rights groups and activists.
In the western Darfur region, the conflict has evolved into ethnic violence, with the RSF and allied Arab militias targeting ethnic African groups, a situation documented by rights groups and the United Nations.
According to UN figures from August, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 individuals. However, doctors and activists contend that the actual toll is significantly higher.
In the previous month, Amnesty International reported extensive war crimes committed by both warring parties, including deliberate killings of civilians and instances of sexual assault.
