The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied on Thursday losing the battle against the Sudanese army, speaking instead of “repositioning and opening up on fighting fronts.”
This came in a statement by the RSF following the Sudanese army’s recapture of control over the capital Khartoum on Wednesday.
The statement said: “We declare loudly that our forces have not lost any battle, but have repositioned and opened up on fighting fronts in a way that ensures achieving their military objectives that ultimately lead to resolving this battle in favor of the Sudanese people.”
It added that “the Rapid Support Forces will not stop their war (…) and restoring security, stability, and establishing a new Sudanese state.”
On Wednesday, the head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appeared in the presidential palace surrounded by dozens of soldiers, saying: “It’s over.. Khartoum is free.”
The army and RSF have been waging a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced about 15 million others, according to the UN and local authorities, while a study by American universities estimated the death toll at about 130,000.
On Wednesday, the Sudanese army continued its advance in Khartoum and regained control of the airport, security and military headquarters, and several neighborhoods east and south of the capital, for the first time since April 2023.
In recent days, the army has imposed control over most ministry buildings and government and private institutions in central Khartoum and the Mogran area.
In contrast, the pace of RSF retreat has accelerated in several states, including Khartoum, Al Jazeera, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar and Blue Nile, according to Anadolu’s correspondent.
Out of 18 states, the RSF only controls pockets west and south of Omdurman city west of Khartoum, parts of North Kordofan and West Kordofan states, along with 4 states in Darfur region.
Al-Yurae+Anadolu Agency
