The Sudanese military has commenced a significant ground offensive to regain control of Khartoum as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) begin withdrawing from the East Nile region. Reports suggest that both sides are massing their troops in northern Khartoum, preparing for an intense battle over the city’s control.
Since the outbreak of hostilities in April 2023, the RSF has held most of Khartoum Bahri and central Khartoum. Elite RSF units, armed with advanced weaponry, established a strong presence in the East Nile early in the conflict. However, recent eyewitness accounts have indicated a noticeable decrease in RSF activity in the streets, markets, and cafes of the East Nile area. At the same time, the Sudanese Air Force has stepped up airstrikes on RSF positions.
The army’s current ground offensive, initiated on September 26, marks the first large-scale operation aimed at reclaiming Khartoum. Aside from a brief action in March targeting the state broadcasting center and parts of Old Omdurman, this is the most significant effort by the military to recapture the capital. A previous attempt in May to push RSF forces from the Halfaya Bridge, a key connection between northern Omdurman and northern Khartoum Bahri, ended in failure.
In the past week, however, the army has made progress in the Muqran area, crossing the Halfaya Bridge from Omdurman into Khartoum Bahri and advancing via the White Nile crossings from Omdurman. The military now controls the northern neighborhoods of Kadru, Halfaya, and Al-Izayrkab in Khartoum Bahri. Heavy fighting is ongoing in Muqran, where both sides are using snipers positioned in high-rise buildings.
The army’s primary objective is to break the encirclement of its General Command headquarters in central Khartoum by advancing southward from Halfaya towards the Signal Corps base in southern Khartoum Bahri, located near the besieged command center.
In East Nile, residents have reported seeing convoys of small vehicles and the departure of families of RSF fighters. RSF military police have also been conducting widespread sweeps of fighters in recent weeks, reportedly to redeploy them to other fronts. Some RSF fighters are said to be hiding to avoid being reassigned.
Meanwhile, in Khartoum Bahri, witnesses have observed a large-scale RSF mobilization in the northern Al-Mazad area. The RSF has instructed civilians to evacuate the old neighborhoods of Hilat Hamad, Hilat Khogali, and Al-Danaqla and has deployed artillery there.
These areas are near the Republican Palace on the west bank of the Nile in Khartoum and Tuti Island, which overlooks the Muqran region, where heavy clashes are currently focused.
The army has sent reinforcements from northern Omdurman to Halfaya and the Kadru military zone in northern Khartoum Bahri, indicating that a major showdown for control of Khartoum Bahri is imminent.
If successful in advancing further into central and southern Khartoum Bahri, the army could link up with the Signal Corps base and break the siege of the General Command headquarters. This would also tighten the grip around RSF forces stationed at the Khartoum refinery, a vital facility located approximately 70 kilometers north of the capital, which has been under RSF control since the conflict began.
In a separate development, the army launched a coordinated ground and air assault last Tuesday in Jabal Moya, located west of Sennar. This strategic site lies along the main highway connecting the states of Sennar, Al Jazirah, and White Nile.
After two days of fighting, the Sovereign Council announced that the Sennar-Rabak road, which passes through Jabal Moya, had been reopened. Control of Jabal Moya is crucial, as it serves as a key link between Sennar and Rabak and is located near Al Jazirah state. If the military secures Jabal Moya, it would sever a major RSF supply line between Madani, Jabal Moya, and Sinjah in Sennar state.