Sudanese army reaches Gondahar market in Ombada
RSF faces imminent disintegration in western Omdurman
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have expanded their control in Omdurman, the capital Khartoum region’s largest city, to reach the Gondahar market, a site of heavy aerial bombardments that killed hundreds of civilians, if not thousands, during the course of the deadly civil war.
Videos shared by pro-SAF accounts on X, formerly twitter, shows Sudanese army soldiers and members of the military-allied militant group the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, first in front of the Qadra fuel station in the morning, then inside the Gondahar market itself during the evening hours.
Located in Dar El Salam, Ombada, Gondahar was an operation hub by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the renegade paramilitary group that has been fighting the Sudanese armed forces since exactly two years ago today.
The area was previously used by the paramilitary group to launch shelling attacks on other parts of Omdurman. One notable incident occurred in February when the RSF shelled Sabreen in Karari locality, where over one hundred and fifty people were massacred in a crowded market.
It was also used as a launch pad for drones that have continued to target key infrastructure in the capital’s interior, Khartoum locality. It is also believed to be one of the sites where drones, which have destabilized northern states of the country, in recent weeks.
In a statement accompanied by a video in which soldiers were talking as a show of dominance to the RSF before the Qadra fuel station, the Sudanese army spokesman Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdalla confirmed that the military has “cleared” Gondahar market from the paramilitary group.
“The Special Operations Forces of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the Omdurman Military Area have cleared the Gondahar market axis of the Militia of the Dagalo Family, a terrorist group, and secured both public and private shops and properties,” Nabil wrote in a statement on the official military’s Facebook page.
Another video reviewed and geolocated by Sudan War Monitor to this location (15°38'52.15"N 32°23'25.08"E) showed members of the militant group Al-Baraa Bin Malik in the old Dongola bus station inside Gondahar market, the first time Sudanese military soldiers arrive in this place since the outbreak of the deadly conflict two years ago.
One of the soldiers speaking in front of the camera said:
“In memory of the treacherous night, 15 April 2023 [the day the conflict erupted in Khartoum and expanded to other parts of the country], the Al Baraa Bin Malik Brigade expresses its gratitude at the Old Dongola bus station near Gondahar market. This is the Al Saadarat highway, which runs through Bara, up to El Obeid.”
In another video, Sudanese military soldiers filmed themselves outside the Sports City in Ombada at this location (15°39'7.65"N 32°24'34.17"E). The appearance of the army in these places suggests that the military now controls most of western Omdurman, with exceptions of fever blocks in Dar el Salam.
The SAF now controls areas to the north, west, east and south of Libya Market, one of the strongholds of the RSF in western Omdurman. It still controls areas of Salha and smaller locations to the south of Libya Market, which means the market itself is besieged by the military.
The latest military developments in Omdurman come just weeks after the Sudanese military secured a significant victory over the paramilitary group in the capital Khartoum, just across the White Nile River from Omdurman.
After successfully lifting the two-year siege on its headquarters in central Khartoum in late January, the SAF swiftly moved to clear the RSF from other parts of the capital, including Bahri and East Nile localities.
By late March, the army had gained full control of Khartoum after the RSF made a chaotic retreat, fleeing the city via the Jebel Awlia Dam bridge. This bridge, the only remaining crossing over the White Nile between Khartoum and Omdurman still under RSF control at the time, was subsequently seized by the SAF, who now hold both ends of the bridge and look north toward the Salha, a major RSF stronghold based on southern Omdurman.
Omdurman’s strategic significance is undeniable. As the largest city in the Khartoum region, it serves as a critical gateway to the western regions of Sudan, including Northern Kordofan and Darfur, through the Saadarat highway.
The highway, also known as El Ingaz El Qarbi, connects Omdurman directly to the Darfur region, passing through Bara and El Obeid. Its control by the SAF would give the traditional military a strategic advantage in its push toward the western regions and the control of the SAF on Gondahar signals the imminent end of the RSF in central Sudan.
Videos
In this video, Sudanese army soldiers are seen outside the Qadra fuel station in Dar El Salam, Ombada, Omdurman. Location: 15°39'20.66"N 32°23'51.67"E
In this video, SAF soldiers are seen outside the Sports City in Ombada. Location: 15°39'7.65"N 32°24'34.17"E.
In this video, Sudanese military soldiers are seen inside Gondahar Market, exactly at the Old Dongola bus station. Location: 15°38'52.15"N 32°23'25.08"E.
In this video, SAF soldiers are seen in an area a few hundreds meters to the north of the Gondahar market. Location: 15°39'32.16"N 32°23'51.21"E.
News in brief
The RSF has reportedly massacred at least 52 civilians in Um Kadada, whom they suspected of being informants for the Sudanese army, following their capture of the North Darfur town last week. According to the Sudanese Emergency Lawyers, a Darfur-based volunteer group, the paramilitary group “killed 52 civilians, burned residential homes, and looted properties.”
South Sudan’s opposition group, SPLA-IO, has informed Sudan War Monitor that it has regained control of a base seized by the RSF last month during clashes in northeastern Upper Nile State’s Renk County. The RSF attacked the South Sudanese opposition base in Dukduk last month, killing at least three high-ranking opposition commanders. SPLA-IO spokesman for the group’s sector two in Upper Nile state Major Chuol Puot Dual confirmed that their forces attacked the RSF on Monday, killing the area commander, although he did not provide the commander’s name or visual evidence of fighting.
A wave of drone attacks in northern Sudan has caused widespread power outages in Khartoum, Port Sudan, and other major cities. The RSF has recently utilized long-range drones to target key infrastructure in Northern Sudan. The Merowe Dam and Dongola Airport were struck, and today, the Dongola electricity station was hit, causing significant power disruptions in the city and surrounding areas.
The United Kingdom and European nations led calls for an “immediate” end to Sudan’s brutal civil war during a conference on Sudan held in London on Tuesday. The conference, which marks two years of conflict that has killed over 11,000 people and displaced millions, pledged €800 million in humanitarian aid. The United Nations has described the conflict as the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis.
Internal fighting within the RSF, fueled by tribal tensions between the Bena Halba and Misseriya tribes, resulted in the death of Major General Ahmed Barakatallah on Saturday in Nyala, the capital of North Darfur State. The clash occurred when a force led by Major General Barakatallah engaged armed members from rival tribal factions within the RSF in a local market. Sources told Darfur24 that the fighting was part of a broader effort by the RSF to address what they called “negative phenomena” within their ranks. However, the internal conflict escalated, and Major General Barakatallah was shot during the confrontation. He succumbed to his injuries before being able to reach the hospital. Several armed individuals, described as “outlaws,” were also reported killed in the clashes, though the exact number of casualties remains unclear. The incident highlights growing tensions within the RSF as internal tribal rivalries threaten to undermine the group's cohesion in the ongoing conflict.
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