Sudanese Army Retakes Central Bank from RSF

The Sudanese army announced on Saturday that it had retaken several important buildings in central Khartoum, including the Central Bank, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the day after retaking the Republican Palace.

A RSF source told AFP, "Our forces are now engaged in a fierce battle at the northern entrance to Airport Street. Yes, yesterday evening (Friday) and this morning (Saturday), our forces withdrew from some positions in central Khartoum, but the battle has not yet been decided."

This comes a day after the Sudanese army recaptured the Republican Palace from the RSF, which responded by targeting the complex with drones.

The battle for control of the government and economic district in Khartoum is expected to strengthen the army's grip on the capital, marking a major victory in the nearly two-year-old war between army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy and RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The army's recapture of the presidential palace could lead to the recapture of greater Khartoum, but the vast western Darfur region and most of the south remain largely under RSF control.

Sudanese army spokesman Nabil Abdullah said in a statement to AFP, "Our forces achieved further successes last night, eliminating hundreds of militia members who tried to escape through pockets in central Khartoum. They also took control of the Bank of Sudan," among other buildings.

Sudanese national institutions located in the center of the capital were looted by members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the beginning of the war, which broke out on April 15, 2023.

The Sudanese army announced on Friday that it had recaptured the Republican Palace in Khartoum from the RSF, which responded by targeting the complex with drones, killing media personnel and military personnel.

The RSF has transformed the Republican Palace, a symbol of Sudanese sovereignty, into a strategic stronghold, where its special forces are stationed and ammunition is stored, according to military sources.

The battle is not over.

In recent weeks, the army has regained control of large areas of Khartoum, including Bahri, known as Khartoum North, and the eastern Nile region.

The Rapid Support Forces still control many locations in Khartoum and its adjacent Omdurman on the other side of the White Nile.

Al-Burhan said in a video released by the army on Saturday that "the army is advancing steadily to liberate all of Sudan," stressing that the battle will not stop and that the army will continue fighting.

The war, which has been ongoing for nearly two years, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 12 million people, causing the world's largest hunger and displacement crises.

According to United Nations estimates, nearly two million people face severe food insecurity across Sudan, while 320,000 are suffering from famine conditions. The United Nations confirmed that in Khartoum alone, at least 100,000 people are suffering from famine conditions.