Sudan's Capital Tensions: Army's Strategic Moves to Oust Rival Rapid Support Forces

The Sudanese army is making strategic moves to secure Khartoum, encircling the airport to expel the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Recent army advances signal potential partition, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. Power struggles trace back to a 2021 coup, complicating Sudan's attempt at a democratic transition.

The Sudanese army has tightened its grip on Khartoum by surrounding the airport, in an effort to push out the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as reported by two military sources to Reuters on Wednesday. Despite these maneuvers, the conflict remains far from resolution.

Significant military gains include the seizure of the presidential palace in central Khartoum, marking a symbolic victory amid the ongoing two-year conflict that has divided Sudan into opposing control zones. The army announced on Wednesday it had secured the Tiba al-Hassanab camp, touted as the RSF's last bastion in central Sudan.

The strategic encirclement of key areas, coupled with reports of RSF forces retreating, underscores the volatile shifts in control. The war, stemming from a failed democratic transition, has led to catastrophic humanitarian consequences, displacing over 12.5 million people and triggering famines and diseases across regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)