The Sudanese military announced Friday it has regained full control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum, ending nearly two years of control by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The palace has been one of the RSF’s last major strongholds in the capital.
Army spokesperson Nabil Abdallah confirmed the military’s capture of the palace and key government buildings. “Our forces completely destroyed the enemy’s fighters and equipment, and seized large quantities of equipment and weapons,” Abdallah said on state television. Abdallah also said the military had also taken control of nearby ministry buildings.
Videos shared on social media showed Sudanese soldiers inside the palace compound, some praying and celebrating after the victory.
🇸🇩 #Sudan: The Sudanese military has taken control of the presidential palace in Khartoum. The palace has been under the control of the RSF for two years now, with its recapture marking a major symbolic victory. This victory comes amidst recent gains by the Sudanese military in… pic.twitter.com/vXzQ5qAszG
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) March 21, 2025
🟢Footage showing the first Army soldiers entering the Palace.
This UAE sponsored militia captured the Palace in the first hours after launching its assault to take over the capital; but the plot to takeover Sudan failed and now these terrorists face being routed in to oblivion pic.twitter.com/H9KBg5rD8u
— Mohanad (@MohanadElbalal) March 21, 2025
Khaled al-Aiser, Sudan’s information minister, posted on X: “Today the flag is raised, the palace is back and the journey continues until victory is complete.”
The capture follows months of gains by the Sudanese military, which has been advancing against RSF positions.
Despite this victory, RSF forces maintain control over key southern districts of Khartoum, parts of the airport, and large territories across the country, particularly in the western Darfur region. The RSF stated on Telegram that its fighters remained active near the palace and claimed responsibility for a drone strike that reportedly killed a team of state TV journalists along with two senior media officers from the army.
Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief and de facto president, declared that no negotiations with the RSF would occur “until these people are no more.” Burhan’s forces have continued operations in key areas, including the strategic oil refinery north of Khartoum and regions in central Sudan.
#Sudan 🇸🇩: “Sudanese Forces” (#SAF) attacked “Rapid Support Forces” (#RSF) positions in #Khartoum.
SAF used a DIY Truck-Mounted 80mm B-8M1 rocket pod with HE-Frag Unguided Aircraft rockets. pic.twitter.com/zhSrGonpgH
— War Noir (@war_noir) March 21, 2025
The RSF, under Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), has vowed to defend its strongholds and threatened further attacks on northern cities.
On Thursday, the RSF claimed it had seized control of al-Maliha, a strategic city in North Darfur near the Chad and Libya borders. The Sudanese military acknowledged fighting near al-Maliha but instead claimed that it successfully repelled an attack by the RSF.
Sudanese Joint Forces said on Thursday they had repulsed an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the town of Al-Maliha in North Darfur, near the Libyan border.https://t.co/FCgdzTikMF pic.twitter.com/USxaQ8Xqyl
— Sudan Tribune (@SudanTribune_EN) March 20, 2025
The ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023 following a power struggle between Burhan and Dagalo, has devastated the country. Humanitarian groups have estimated anywhere between 20,000 – 150,000 people have died directly from the fighting, with millions more displaced and facing famine. Civilians have reported severe shortages of food, medicine, and basic services, with some resorting to eating grass to survive.
Both the RSF and Sudanese military have faced widespread accusations of human rights abuses throughout the war. The RSF’s roots trace back to the Janjaweed militias, known for atrocities in Darfur during the early 2000s. The U.S. State Department previously declared that the RSF was committing genocide. The RSF has also been accused of ethnic-based executions and mass sexual violence against women.
Despite the palace victory, residents in Khartoum say fighting continues in parts of the city. The Republican Palace, a historic compound on the banks of the Nile River, played a symbolic role in Sudan’s independence movement and previously housed Sudan’s presidential offices.
