Army sources in the capital Khartum say that the Sudanese military is 500 meters from the presidential palace. Gunfire is heard in large parts of Khartum as the battles intensify in the civil war that broke out in April 2023.
The palace has been held by the paramilitary force RSF (Rapid Support Forces), led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, since the beginning of the war.
Army forces are also trying to take control of other parts of Khartum in a comprehensive offensive to consolidate their power position. About 30 vehicles from RSF were destroyed in the offensive on Thursday, according to military sources.
Sudan is essentially divided into two: the Sudanese army controls the northern and eastern parts of the country, while RSF has taken over large parts of western and southern Sudan. In the Darfur region, RSF has taken over four out of five central towns, and is besieging the fifth.
Around twelve million inhabitants have fled their homes since the civil war broke out, with over three million leaving the country. Reliable figures on the number of fatalities are lacking. Estimates range from 30,000 to 150,000 fatalities, according to, among others, the USA's former envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, in a calculation presented in November 2024.
