Sudanese army retakes presidential palace

The Sudanese army seized full control of the presidential palace in central Khartoum, it said in a statement, in what would be a major gain in a two-year-old conflict with a rival armed group that has threatened to partition the country.

The army had long been on the back foot but has recently made gains and has retaken territory from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the centre of the country.

The RSF has consolidated control in the west, hardening battle lines and moving Sudan towards de facto partition. The RSF is setting up a parallel government in areas it controls, although that is not expected to secure widespread international recognition.

The RSF said, hours after the army statement, that it remained in the vicinity of the palace, and that it had launched an attack that had killed dozens of army soldiers inside.

Army sources said the fighters were about 400 metres away. They said the army's forces had suffered a drone attack that killed several soldiers as well as three journalists from state television.

The RSF rapidly seized the presidential palace in Khartoum, along with the rest of the city, after war broke out in April 2023 over the paramilitary's integration into the armed forces.

RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had instructed troops earlier this week to maintain control at the palace.

The army shared videos of soldiers cheering on the palace grounds, its glass windows shattered and walls pockmarked with bullet holes. Images showed the cladding of the recently constructed palace torn off by explosions.

The conflict has led to what the U.N. calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis, spreading famine in several locations and disease across the country of 50 million people.

Both sides have been accused of war crimes, while the RSF has also been charged with genocide. Both sides deny the charges.