The Sudanese army said on Friday 24th, January it had broken a months-long siege on its headquarters in central Khartoum and retaken a strategic oil refinery, marking significant gains against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after more than a year of war.
The army said it had linked up troops from the north with those inside the General Command headquarters, effectively ending the RSF’s encirclement of the crucial military installation. The move also allowed the military to secure routes for supplies and reinforcements.
“The Armed Forces announce the completion of the second phase of operations in the capital with the meeting of forces from the Bahri axis with our forces stationed at the General Command,” army spokesman Nabil Abdallah said in a statement.
Separately, the military confirmed it had expelled RSF fighters from the Al-Jaili oil refinery, 70 km (43 miles) north of Khartoum. The refinery had been under RSF control since the early days of the conflict, which erupted in April 2023.Sudanese wildlife safaris
A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the operation “completely lifted the siege of the General Command, granting it freedom of movement and enabling the delivery of supplies.”
The commander of the army’s Signal Corps, Major General Abdelaziz Abkar, received troops arriving from northern Bahri at the Signal Corps base, which had itself been under siege for over a year, according to a video released by the army.
The military released pictures and video of its generals at headquarters after breaking the siege..
The RSF has yet to issue an official statement on these developments. However, some RSF members released video statements on social media claiming they are still in control of key locations, including the areas surrounding the Signal Corps, which the army claims to have retaken.
The advances come two weeks after the army regained control of Wad Madani, the capital of the agriculturally important Al Jazirah state, from the RSF.
Since the war began in April 2023, the RSF has besieged and repeatedly attacked key military installations in Khartoum, including the General Command.
The conflict has devastated the country, displacing millions and causing a severe humanitarian crisis.
The army’s statement also said its recent successes coincided with the repelling of an RSF attack on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
@SudanTribune
