Sudan army recaptures Wad Madani city
Major setback for the Rapid Support Forces in central Sudan
The Sudanese military regained control of Wad Madani, one of the ten largest cities in the country, on Saturday afternoon, after 13 months of control by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The capture of the city caps a four-month counter-offensive against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began at the start of the dry season in October.
Advancing from the west, south, and east, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) captured the towns of Al-Shabarga, Hajj Abdallah, and Um al-Qura earlier in the week, as well as numerous villages. The advance accelerated Saturday as the RSF apparently withdrew from Wad Madani itself without a fight, much as they had done from the Sennar State capital Sinja during a retreat in November 2024.
The development could allow thousands of people displaced by fighting in Al-Jazira State to return home, though it also threatens fresh displacement elsewhere as the locus of fighting shifts.
The fall of Wad Madani shifts the frontline northward towards Khartoum State, closer to where it was just over a year ago before the RSF invaded Al Jazira State. Northern villages of Al-Jazira State, as well suburbs and villages of Khartoum State, south of the capital, could become a new battleground, as Khartoum is now in the crosshairs.
This is taking place in the absence of any political process to bring about a ceasefire or peace agreement, apart from a new Turkish mediation initiative, which has not yet gained much traction internationally or domestically inside Sudan.
This recapture marks a significant military victory, as the SAF successfully dealt a blow to the RSF’s operations in central Sudan, the country’s agriculture heartlands. Wad Madani, which lies on the banks of the Blue Nile, was a gateway for the RSF to extend control over vast swathes of farmland and villages in central Sudan, including Al-Jazira and Sennar states, and threatening Blue Nile and Gedaref too.
Wad Madani’s recapture by SAF apparently ends or limits the RSF threat to Sudan’s southern agricultural states, except White Nile, and puts the SAF at a major advantage militarily as it seeks to recapture the national capital Khartoum. The RSF have lost ground elsewhere too, including in the key urban battlefields of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri. If the trend continues, the RSF’s control in central Sudan will continue to diminish, even as it remains dominant in large parts of western Sudan.
Video: SAF troops rushing across the Hantoub Bridge, outside Wad Madani, after the collapse of RSF defenses around the city.
Below SAF and allied Joint Force troops in central Wad Madani, 11 January 2024:
The RSF’s occupation of Al-Jazira State has been characterized by human rights abuses in numerous villages, including the infamous Wad al-Noura massacre in which over 100 people were killed, as well as many smaller incidents in which people were killed, beaten, tortured, robbed, raped, or arbitrarily detained.
Civilians suffered at the hands of SAF too, which carried out a relentless air campaign against markets, such as Kab al-Jiddad, which was hit in November and again yesterday, angering villagers. Additionally, during their offensive to recapture the state, the SAF targeted minority communities, particularly the Kanabi, which it accused of collaborating with the RSF, according to a recent investigation by the Centre for Information Resilience, an open source monitoring group.
Celebrations for recapture of Wad Madani
Citizens in many Sudanese cities celebrated in the streets after the recapture of Wad Madani on Saturday afternoon. The news appeared to spark hope among the public that the RSF could soon be defeated. A large part of the Sudanese public supports the SAF war effort, while others are ambivalent or support a negotiated solution. Outside of parts of western Sudan, the paramilitary RSF is generally unpopular.
Celebrations in Port Sudan, as seen from the car of Turkish Ambassador Fatih Yildiz:
In an official statement, the SAF vowed to continue operations to liberate all RSF-held areas, calling this victory a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict:
“The General Command of the Armed Forces extends its congratulations to our noble people on the entry of our forces into the city of Wad Madani this morning. Our forces are currently working on clearing the remnants of the rebels inside the city. We assure our proud people that your armed forces, along with their supporting forces, are advancing with determination and resolve on all fronts to liberate every inch of land defiled by the terrorist militia of Al-Dagalo. Congratulations to the armed forces, their supporting forces everywhere, and to our people as they reclaim their dignity, security, and stability. We pray for Paradise and eternal honor for our righteous martyrs, a speedy recovery for the injured, and the safe return of the captives and missing,” the statement read.
In the midst of celebrations in Wad Madani, which were marked by celebratory gunfire, militia commander Abu Aqla Keikel, an ally of the SAF, was seen alongside a senior Joint Force commander, Maj. Gen. Tugulat. The victory was not only significant in military terms but also reflected a show of unity among the forces opposing the RSF’s presence in the country, including the Joint Force, which consists of armed groups that formerly fought against the Sudanese army, during the last civil war.
RSF continues to control areas north of Wad Madani along both banks of the Nile. Additionally, prior to the city’s fall, it still controlled areas south of Wad Madani, but it likely will evacuate troops from that region, if it hasn’t already, to avoid encirclement.
Military Background
The RSF initially stormed Wad Madani on December 18, 2023, during the first year of the conflict following the war's outbreak in Khartoum in April 2024. The SAF's efforts to reclaim the city began in earnest several months later, with attacks on western Al Jazirah villages such as Al Arab Village.
However, the onset of the rainy season in July, as well as an RSF breakthrough into Sennar State in late June and early July, just before the rainy season, forced the SAF to pause their offensive until late September.
The latest phase of the SAF’s offensive began in late September and October when the army launched simultaneous attacks in Khartoum State, Sennar, Al Jazira, and North Darfur. Surprise attacks gave the SAF control of three key bridges in the capital region and forced the RSF to divert troops from other fronts to maintain control of the strategically and politically important capital.
By November, the SAF had regained control of key locations such as Sinja, the capital of Sennar State, and Jebel Moya, a city along a key transportation corridor. In December, the army captured the Sennar Sugar Factory (map), a sprawling agro-industrial area along the Sennar-Jazira border, which was an RSF stronghold.
In the past week, the SAF’s advance has been rapid, with the recapture of Wad Al Haddad, Hajj Abdallah, Al-Shabarga, and, just this morning, Wad al-Mehidi, which lies just 25 kilometers east of Wad Madani.
This offensive benefitted from the support of allied factions, including the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Central Darfur Governor Mustafa Tambour, the SLM faction of Minni Arko Minnawi, and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim.
Minnawi issued a statement celebrating the recapture of Wad Madani, drawing particular attention to the victims of the Wad Al Nur massacre. Minnawi’s asserted that the recapture of the city was a tribute to the victims of this atrocity.
“The forces of steadfastness and dignity from the armed forces, the joint forces, and the popular resistance stormed the walls of misery and aggression and liberated Al-Jazira. Its capital, Wad Madani, is free land. It will become an honor and a greatness for the victims of Wad al-Nura and other sons of Sudan. The criminals fled, and others of the rapists followed them,” Minnawi wrote.
Similarly, Jibril praised the SAF and its allies for their continued progress and expressed confidence that the army’s advances would soon result in the complete removal of the RSF from central Sudan. Ibrahim’s message also alluded to ongoing battles in other areas, particularly along the southern border of River Nile State, where SAF is seeking to advance into Khartoum State toward the Jaili Refinery.
“God is great, God is great. The vanguard of the armed forces, the joint forces, and all the supporting forces are in Madani Al-Sunni and on the outskirts of the Jaili refinery. Tomorrow, the Sudanese patriots will rejoice in cleansing their land from the filth of the thugs, their contractors, and their followers. May Allah accept the martyrs and hasten the recovery of the wounded,” Ibrahim wrote.
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