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The Sudanese army announced on Wednesday that it had regained control of Khartoum International Airport, marking a significant step toward reclaiming the capital from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. In a symbolic and strategic move, military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan returned to Khartoum for the first time since the war erupted nearly two years ago.
Gen. Burhan’s Return
Footage released by the military showed Gen. Burhan landing at the reclaimed airport, where he kissed the ground and raised his fist in the air in a gesture of victory. Addressing soldiers on the tarmac, he declared, “Khartoum is now free. It’s over. Khartoum is free.”
Following his arrival, Burhan proceeded to the Presidential Palace, a significant pre-war government stronghold that the army wrested from RSF control last Friday.
Ongoing RSF Presence in Khartoum and Strategic Gains
Despite this victory, RSF forces are believed to still hold scattered positions within Khartoum. The government has yet to declare full control over the city, but Burhan’s return marks a major milestone in the conflict. Since April 2023, when the war broke out between the military and the RSF over power struggles, the paramilitary group had taken control of key locations, including the airport and Presidential Palace.
While the recapture of Khartoum is a critical development, it does not signal the end of the conflict. The RSF still maintains strongholds in parts of the western Darfur region and other territories across Sudan.
Final RSF Stronghold in Khartoum Falls
Earlier in the day, the Sudanese military announced that it had seized the RSF’s last major base in the capital, the Teiba al-Hasnab camp. The RSF has not yet issued a response regarding the loss of this strategic site.
“This is a pivotal and decisive moment in the history of Sudan,” declared Information Minister Khalid Aleiser, the spokesman for the military-led government, in a statement on social media. “Khartoum is free, as it should be.”
Humanitarian Implications of the Military’s Gains
With the military securing the airport and an overall improvement in security conditions in Khartoum, humanitarian organizations may find it easier to fly aid into Sudan. The conflict has displaced approximately 14 million people and pushed several regions into famine.
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