The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, has pledged to continue the fight against the Sudanese army despite recent territorial losses. In a recorded message on Sunday, he vowed to return to the capital, Khartoum, “stronger than ever” after the army regained control of key areas.
Hemedti acknowledged recent RSF withdrawals from Omdurman but described them as “strategic repositioning decisions.” He also dismissed any possibility of negotiations with the army, stating, “We will not engage in dialogue or agreements with them; only the gun will decide.”
The Sudanese army has made significant advances in recent days, reclaiming the Libya Market in western Omdurman, a critical RSF stronghold. By Thursday, military forces announced they had cleared the last RSF pockets in Khartoum, securing the capital’s airport, security headquarters, and several neighborhoods in the east and south for the first time since the conflict began in April 2023.
The war, which has raged since mid-April 2023, has resulted in over 20,000 deaths and displaced 14 million people, according to UN and local reports. The international community and humanitarian organizations continue to call for an immediate end to the fighting, warning of an escalating crisis, with millions facing famine and dire conditions as the conflict spreads across 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.