Sudan’s RSF Chief Says War With Army Is Not Over Amid Ongoing Conflict

The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said on Sunday that the war with the Sudanese army is far from over, despite his forces being largely driven out of Khartoum in recent days, Reuters reported. Dagalo vowed that his forces would return to the capital, Khartoum, “stronger, more powerful and victorious.”

In his first public statement since the RSF was pushed back by the army last week, Dagalo acknowledged in an audio message on Telegram that his forces had withdrawn from parts of Khartoum, thr report stated. He reportedly described the retreat as a “tactical decision” made by RSF leadership, explaining that his forces repositioned in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city, as the army consolidated its gains.

“It’s true that in the past few days there was a withdrawal by forces [from Khartoum] to reposition in Omdurman. This was a tactical decision made by the leadership. It was a collective decision,” Reuters quoted Dagalo as saying.

His comments came as the Sudanese army continued to secure key areas of Omdurman, including the capture of a major market previously used by the RSF to launch attacks. According to the report, the army now controls much of Omdurman, which houses significant military bases, and is focused on securing the entire capital region, which is divided into Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri by the branches of the River Nile. Despite the setbacks, the RSF still holds some territory in Omdurman.

On Saturday, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reaffirmed his position, ruling out any possibility of reconciliation with the RSF and vowing to crush the group. His comments reflect the continued intensity of the power struggle between the army and the RSF, a conflict rooted in a broader dispute over Sudan’s transition to civilian rule.

The fighting, now in its second year, has devastated much of Khartoum and surrounding areas, displacing more than 12 million Sudanese and leaving about half of the country’s 50 million population grappling with severe hunger, the report further stated. According to the report, a study released last year suggests that as many as 61,000 people may have died in Khartoum alone during the first 14 months of the conflict.

ALSO READ: South Korea, China And Japan Agree to Boost Regional Trade Amid Looming US Tariffs