In brief
As Sudan's military captures key locations in Khartoum, including the presidential palace and the Central Bank, the balance of power in the civil war is shifting. Despite the military's advances against paramilitary forces, the prospects for peace appear bleak according to both on-ground reports and military leaders.
In Khartoum, the war-torn capital of Sudan, a grim tableau unfolds as soldiers rally near the recently recaptured presidential palace, still bearing the scars of recent violent clashes. On a Sunday afternoon, military personnel equipped with rifles and rocket launchers gathered in the palace’s lavish surroundings before launching operations aimed predominantly at dismantling the last defensive holds of the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.).This intense military operation surfaces as a significant turning point in a civil war that has raged for roughly two years. With hundreds reported dead from the battles that ensued over the palace’s capture last Friday, the Sudanese military triumphantly announced that it now controls a major portion of central Khartoum.Strategically crucial institutions have fallen under military control, including the Central Bank and the national intelligence service headquarters. Notably, journalists from The New York Times became the first Western media representatives to roam these battlegrounds and witness firsthand the battles that have shaped recent weeks. Their reports conveyed a stark depiction of the havoc wrought upon the city but underscored an unsettling reality: despite the military's gains, there remains a deep uncertainty about the war's eventual conclusion.Special Forces officer Mohamed Ibrahim asserted, "We will never leave our country to the mercenaries," alluding to the R.S.F., previously an ally of the army, but now positioned as a formidable adversary. The situation in Khartoum continues to unravel, with each day presenting new challenges and suffering for the inhabitants, who long for peace yet face the grim realities of prolonged conflict.
