After nearly two years of conflict, the Sudanese army announced on Friday that it had reclaimed the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the last major stronghold of the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital.

The capture of the palace, which is surrounded by government buildings, represents a significant symbolic victory for the army. However, the RSF still controls territory in the Darfur region and other parts of Sudan, suggesting the war is far from over.

Videos circulating on social media showed Sudanese soldiers inside the palace on Friday, which coincided with the 21st day of Ramadan. A military officer confirmed their presence in the compound.

The palace appeared heavily damaged, with soldiers walking on broken tiles. Troops, armed with rifles and rocket launchers, were heard chanting religious slogans.

Sudan’s Information Minister, Khaled al-Aiser, confirmed the army’s recapture of the palace via a post on X, stating that the “journey continues until victory is complete.”

Following the announcement, residents were seen walking through the palace, observing bullet-riddled walls and bodies covered with blankets.

Palace’s fall a symbolic and strategic moment

The Republican Palace, located along the Nile and featured on Sudanese currency, was the seat of government before the war. Its recapture signifies another gain for the military, which has made advances under Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan in recent months.

The event also indicates that RSF fighters, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have largely been pushed out of Khartoum. Sporadic gunfire was heard throughout the capital on Friday, though its cause was unclear.

Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, an army spokesperson, stated that troops are in control of the palace, surrounding ministries, and the Arab Market to the south.

The RSF has held Khartoum International Airport, located a short distance from the palace, since the conflict began in April 2023.

Suleiman Sandal, a politician linked to the RSF, acknowledged the loss of the palace, calling it a natural part of the conflict.

The RSF later claimed its forces were still present in the vicinity of the palace, fighting bravely. They also claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the palace that killed troops and journalists with Sudanese state television.

On Thursday, the RSF claimed to have taken control of al-Maliha, a strategically important city in North Darfur, near the borders of Chad and Libya. The Sudanese military has acknowledged fighting in the area but has not confirmed its loss.

Al-Maliha is located roughly 200 kilometers north of El Fasher, which remains under military control despite ongoing attacks by the RSF.

According to the head of UNICEF, the conflict in Sudan has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The agency also condemned the looting of food aid intended for malnourished children at Al Bashir Hospital near Khartoum.

UNICEF warned that commercial supplies and humanitarian aid have been blocked for over three months, leading to severe shortages of essential goods and trapping thousands of civilians in active conflict zones.

The war has resulted in over 28,000 deaths, displaced millions, and led to famine in parts of the country. Other estimates indicate an even higher death toll.

The Republican Palace served as the seat of power during British colonization and was the site of the first raising of independent Sudan’s flags in 1956. It was also the primary office for Sudan’s president and other top officials.

The Sudanese military has frequently targeted the palace and its grounds with shelling and gunfire.

Sudan has faced years of chaos and war

Sudan has experienced instability since the removal of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A transition to democracy was interrupted by a military coup led by Burhan and Dagalo in 2021.

The RSF and the Sudanese military have been in conflict since 2023.

Since the start of the year, Burhan’s forces have made gains against the RSF, retaking a key refinery north of Khartoum and advancing on RSF positions around the capital. This fighting has resulted in increased civilian casualties.

Al-Bashir faces charges at the International Criminal Court for alleged genocide committed in Darfur in the early 2000s with the Janjaweed militia, a precursor to the RSF. Rights groups and the U.N. have accused the RSF of attacking ethnic African groups in the current conflict.

Since the war began, both the Sudanese military and the RSF have been accused of human rights abuses. The U.S. State Department has declared that the RSF is committing genocide.

Both the military and the RSF deny these accusations.