Sudan army breaks two-year siege of its headquarters
Breakthrough in Khartoum Bahri, fall of Garri Refinery
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) inflicted a significant setback on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday by breaking through the frontline in Khartoum Bahri and linking up with besieged forces in Kober and northern Khartoum, where the SAF headquarters has been surrounded for nearly two years.
SAF troops operating from northern Khartoum Bahri and Omdurman had been slowly gaining ground for several weeks, clearing a corridor along Ingaz Street, the main avenue that runs north-south through central Bahri. A final push yesterday closed the remaining 2-3 km gap, breaking through to Signal Corps and General Command.
This development is a turning point in the ongoing civil war, ending the threat to the SAF headquarters and positioning SAF for a new push to recapture the capital. Khartoum and Bahri are bracing for more fighting as SAF reinforcements pour into southern Bahri and central Khartoum for the first time since 2023.
The RSF remain in control of most of the capital Khartoum, but it will now be harder for them to defend it as the SAF can revive fighting on a frontline around General Command that had largely been quiet.
Moreover, the RSF’s grip on Bahri appears even more vulnerable. Previously, they had dominated most of this city, but the SAF now control at least half of it. Presently, the RSF still have troops in the Shambat and Kafouri districts, as well as the industrial area.
SAF’s breakthrough in Khartoum Bahri comes just weeks after it recaptured Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazira State, suggesting a shift in momentum in favor of the military. The relief of the General Command will likely enable the SAF to launch fresh offensives aimed at pushing both west and east from their headquarters. Their immediate objectives could include fully retaking the Khartoum International Airport, clearing RSF troops from Al-Mogran, and linking up with a mother besieged group in southwestern Khartoum, referred to as Armored Corps.
Residential areas that have seen minimal if any fighting, at least not since early in the war, could see become battlegrounds as the SAF push south, west, and east.
In a statement, the SAF confirmed the breakthrough in Bahri and said it had also expelled the remaining RSF forces besieged at the Khartoum (Garri) Refinery in Jaili, a village bordering River Nile State. The statement also claimed the successful repulse of a renewed and significant RSF attack aimed at capturing El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State. (As they have suffered setbacks in central Sudan, the RSF have renewed a push to win a victory in the west).
“Today, our forces completed the second phase of their operations by merging the forces of the Khartoum Bahri axis with our forces stationed at the General Command. The command of the armed forces congratulates our forces on all combat axes on this victory, which came along with repelling the treacherous attack of the terrorist Dagalo militia [RSF] this morning on the steadfast city of El Fasher and chasing them from the Khartoum Refinery in Al-Jaili and the military industrial complex,” the statement reads.
SAF entered Jaili, a town bordering the strategic Khartoum refinery, on Thursday afternoon. By Saturday morning, SAF soldiers and Joint Forces personnel were photographed inside the refinery itself. The SAF claimed to have captured the refinery on Friday, following the linking of their forces in Omdurman and Northern Bahri with those at the Signal Corps.
However, video evidence geolocated by Sudan War Monitor indicates that the military and its allies entered the refinery at dawn on Saturday. This suggests the RSF, who reportedly began withdrawing from the area on Friday afternoon, may have already vacated the site.
A SAF source informed Sudan War Monitor that a contingent of SAF troops who fought in Jaili have now moved towards East Nile, where the RSF maintains a significant military presence. The military has only a small base in East Nile, located in Al-Alifoun.
The RSF dismissed the SAF's claims in a now-deleted statement, alleging they achieved significant victories “across all battlefronts.” They accused the SAF and “paid propaganda outlets” of misinformation, aimed at boosting the morale of the traditional military forces.
“Paid propaganda outlets and remnants of the former regime continuously attempt to spread rumors with the aim of misleading public opinion, reassuring their psychologically defeated supporters, and boosting the morale of their forces, which suffer defeat after defeat. The claims about their forces linking up at the Signal Corps, along with fabricated battles and alleged victories portrayed through doctored videos on social media, are nothing more than another chapter in the lies they have used to deceive the Sudanese people for thirty years until their hypocrisy was exposed.”
“The undeniable truth is that the brave and heroic forces of the Rapid Support Forces have delivered harsh lessons in courage and valor to the Islamic Movement’s army and its affiliates, achieving significant victories across all battlefronts, including the Bahri axis. They continue to fight for the cause of the oppressed and marginalized people of Sudan, striving to build a new and just foundation for the country,” the RSF initially posted on its website.
Geolocated footage analyzed by Sudan War Monitor confirmed the SAF's claims, with video evidence showing the commander of the SAF-allied Islamist Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, Musbah Abu Zeid, arriving at the Signal Corps and posing for photographs in front of its monument, verifying the presence of SAF elements from Omdurman and northern Bahri at the installation.
RSF intensify assault on North Darfur capital
Meanwhile, in El Fasher, the RSF launched an aggressive assault from multiple directions on Friday, capturing Shala Prison, located on the western perimeter of SAF control, which safeguards the airport runway. However, the SAF and allied Joint Forces of Armed Struggle Movement (JSAMF) repelled the attack after initial setbacks. El Fasher-based Al Jazeera journalist Muhammar Ibrahim reported that the RSF had breached the prison, released inmates, and then withdrew.
The Joint Force stated in a news release:
“The militia attempted to attack from the southern, eastern, northern, western, and southeastern axes simultaneously in a desperate attempt to breach the city's defenses. However, our forces were fully prepared, repelling the attack with strength and courage, inflicting heavy losses in both personnel and equipment.”
“As a result, the remnants of the Janjaweed militia were forced to flee the city, leaving behind hundreds of bodies scattered on the outskirts and within the streets and roads. In the initial tally of the Battle of Resilience and Dignity this morning, our brave heroes managed to eliminate more than 400 mercenaries from the Rapid Support Forces militia and destroyed over 30 military vehicles of various types.”
“Additionally, they seized 25 intact military vehicles equipped with the latest weapons and equipment. In this regard, we would like to extend our gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for this ‘valuable gift,’ which will contribute to enhancing our defensive capabilities.”
Momentum shift
For the first year and a half of Sudan’s civil war, the Rapid Support Forces won almost every battle and overran dozens of SAF bases, convoys, and cities. The last major RSF victories took place in July 2024, when they overran Sennar State.
The tide began to shift in mid to late 2024, as the SAF launched a surprise attack in Khartoum, capturing three key bridges in both Khartoum and Bahri, while also pressuring the RSF on other fronts. The SAF has maintained a steady offensive, reclaiming Jebel Moya in October, followed by Sinja, the capital of Sennar State. The recapture of Wad Madani earlier this month marked a major turning point, as the RSF had maintained its grip on the central Sudanese city for over a year with the SAF trying to retake it with thousands of forces to no avail.
Meanwhile, the emergence of the Joint Force in Darfur—the RSF’s traditional stronghold—has forced the paramilitary group to divert resources and manpower to defend its home region, as well as the Chadian and Libyan border, a critical supply route for its operations. This factor, compounded by internal divisions and defections, has significantly weakened the RSF’s ability to maintain its positions in central Sudan.
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Videos
SAF troops arriving from Bahri celebrate at the entrance to the formerly besieged and gutted headquarters, known as General Command.
In this video, officers from the SAF at the General Command of the Armed Forces announce the integration of forces from Omdurman and northern Bahri with those at the Signal Corps.
In this video, a group of SAF soldiers from Omdurman meets Major-General Abdelaziz Ahmed, the commander of the Bahri Military Area and Signal Corps, in southern Bahri.
In this video, militant group Al Bara Bin Malik commander Musbah Abu Zeid greats commanders from the Signal Corps in southern Bahri after his arrival.
In the video below, soldiers of the SAF can be seen roaming the streets of refinery, which has been heavily damaged and set ablaze. The footage captures the extensive destruction, with plumes of smoke rising from the facility and debris scattered across the area.
In this video, a Sudanese army soldier is seen standing in front of the camera, pointing to the destruction of the refinery. The SAF has blamed the RSF for destroying the facility after their withdrawal. However, the RSF has countered the claim, accusing the SAF of conducting aerial bombardments that led to the refinery's destruction.