Sudan’s military is on the verge of reclaiming full control of the capital, Khartoum, nearly two years after being forced out. As soldiers prepare for a decisive offensive, the BBC has gained rare access to their operation.
The conflict has taken a devastating toll on Sudanese civilians, with widespread destruction, human rights violations, and a looming famine. Recent advances by the army have pushed into northern, eastern, and parts of central Khartoum, with a new offensive expanding that foothold.
Battle for the Capital
At a rallying point in Khartoum North, troops gathered overnight in high spirits, chanting and preparing for battle.
By morning, they had pushed deeper into the city, breaking through a key central zone held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). By the next evening, military units from the southwest had joined forces with those at the army’s northern headquarters.
On Thursday, the army reportedly destroyed an RSF convoy withdrawing from the presidential palace. Footage released by the military showed drone strikes on vehicles and a massive explosion, likely from ammunition carried by RSF fighters.
The Republican Palace, an important historical and political landmark, remains a strategic focal point in the battle.
A City of Mass Graves
While the army’s gains signal progress in the war, the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. The Ahmed Sharfi Cemetery in Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum region, tells a grim story.
Abidin Durma, known as the gravedigger of Omdurman, buries between 25 to 50 bodies daily. With other cemeteries inaccessible and hospitals overwhelmed, the dead are rushed for burial without refrigeration.
One section of the cemetery is a mass grave for victims of a school bombing, while another holds over 120 bodies from a January market shelling.
Both sides in the conflict face accusations of war crimes, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
A War That Spares No One
In Omdurman’s al-Mabrouka neighborhood, families live in constant fear. Prayers for the dead have become a daily ritual.
Abazar Abdel Habib lost his brother and sister-in-law to artillery fire as they took their son to preschool. Now, he cares for their daughter, Omnia, who survived the blast but was injured while in her mother’s arms.
For many Sudanese, survival means adapting to a brutal new normal.
For now, the battle for Khartoum rages on. But even if the army regains control, the scars of war will remain, and Sudan’s suffering is far from over.
Source: NewsandVibes.com
