Sudan’s military forces have successfully regained control of the state broadcaster’s headquarters in Omdurman, a significant city located across the Nile River from the nation’s capital, Khartoum. This strategic victory was announced by the Sudanese army and marks a pivotal shift in the ongoing conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
مسيرات احتفالية في بورتسودان بانتصار الجيش في معركة مبنى الإذاعة والتلفزيون بأم درمان أمس، والمواطنين يهتفون “شعب واحد جيش واحد” تأكيدا لدعم الجيش في حربه ضد قوات الدعم السريع. pic.twitter.com/ofezVf4bqV
— Sudan War Monitor (@sudanwarmonitor) March 13, 2024
The RSF had seized the broadcasting headquarters shortly after hostilities commenced, utilizing it for military operations despite being unable to broadcast their content. Throughout this period, state television continued airing pro-army material from alternate locations within Sudan.
The takeover of the broadcast center is regarded by the army as a crucial victory in the nearly 11-month war against the RSF, a paramilitary group. Despite the United Nations Security Council urging a ceasefire during Ramadan to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, fierce battles have persisted in Khartoum and its surrounding areas.
The army’s recapture of the broadcaster signifies its most notable advancement against the RSF, extending its dominion over “old Omdurman” while the RSF still controls parts of the city’s southern and western regions. In its efforts to reclaim territory, the army has utilized air power, heavy artillery, and drones.
This military escalation occurs amid a broader conflict that erupted in mid-April 2023, stemming from disagreements over the country’s transition to civilian governance. Both factions, having orchestrated a coup in 2021 that interrupted Sudan’s transition following the ousting of Omar al-Bashir in 2019, find themselves at odds after initially collaborating.
The war has inflicted severe damage upon Khartoum, ignited ethnically motivated violence in Darfur, and led to a significant humanitarian crisis, with over 8 million people displaced and increasing rates of hunger.
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