Sudan Nashra: Burhan informs Sisi of continued military operations | Military advance in Mogran stalled | RSF surrender talks underway in Singa

With Sudan’s internal political process at a standstill, hopes for peace have now shifted to external solutions, including enforcing the Jeddah Declaration or the potential involvement by foreign powers such as the United States, as fighting persists on multiple fronts with no major breakthroughs.

During a brief visit to Cairo on Monday, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that Sudan would continue military operations against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) unless they commit to the Jeddah Declaration, a source in the sovereignty council told Mada Masr. In the meantime, Sudanese leaders have rushed to congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump, expressing hopes that he might play a role in ending the conflict, though some remain skeptical.

Domestically, Burhan ordered a Cabinet reshuffle, dismissing four ministers and appointing replacements, including Ali Youssef as the new Foreign Minister. In his first act as foreign minister, Youssef met with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel Atty, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

On the battlefield, the RSF managed to halt the military’s advances in Khartoum’s Mogran area, deploying heavy weaponry and jamming devices, a military source told Mada Masr. Meanwhile, the military is making steady advances in western Omdurman to eliminate RSF presence in the area. In Bahri, military forces stationed at the Hattab operational base have expanded into nearby neighborhoods, a military source told Mada Masr. 

In central Sudan, a military source told Mada Masr that Sudanese Armed Forces troops, local residents, and mobilized fighters are preparing for major offensives, particularly in eastern Gezira State.

In Sennar State, the military has surrounded the state capital, Singa, from four sides. A military source told Mada Masr that negotiations have begun with the RSF for a potential surrender and disarmament, with the RSF showing initial willingness but voicing some concerns regarding the military’s terms.

In the far western city of Fasher in North Darfur State, the RSF continues to amass its largest forces since its attempt to seize the city in May, a military source told Mada Masr.

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Burhan to Sisi: Military operations against RSF to continue unless Jeddah Declaration is implemented 

On Monday, Burhan traveled to Cairo to participate in the World Urban Forum, at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. In his address to the forum, Burhan condemned the actions of the RSF and the regional powers backing them — a message he frequently emphasizes in public speeches.

Joining Burhan was Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein al-Amin and Sudanese General Intelligence Service Director Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal.

While in Cairo, Burhan held a meeting with Sisi on the sidelines of the forum. According to a sovereignty council source who spoke to Mada Masr, their discussions covered the ongoing war in Sudan, with Burhan outlining his stance on ending the war in light of recent military gains in central Sudan and reiterating Sudan’s commitment to the Jeddah Declaration. Burhan stated that military operations against the RSF will persist unless the agreement is implemented. 

The source added that Burhan briefed Sisi on recent battlefield achievements and outlined Sudan’s planned military operations, including battles in central Sudan, Kordofan and North Darfur, aiming to drive the RSF into limited zones. Burhan also said that the military strikes might extend to border regions with the Central African Republic or Chad, in their operations to disrupt RSF supply lines. 

For his part, Sisi reiterated Egypt’s unwavering support for the Sudanese people, according to a statement from the Transitional Sovereignty Council.

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Jamming devices, heavy weapons hinder military advance in Mogran, Khartoum

Fighting continues unabated in Khartoum as the military is attempting to reclaim strategic areas across the capital’s three cities. The military’s long-term aim has been to connect its forces in Omdurman, the General Command in central Khartoum and the Armored Corps camp in the south, as well as its troops at the Weapons and Signal Corps camps in Bahri.

A field source told Mada Masr that intense clashes persist around the Mogran area, but that the military has not been able to make significant advances due to RSF snipers stationed in tall buildings. The military has positioned its forces around the Shohadaa Mosque, the Hilton Hotel and the April 6 Gardens, while the RSF remains entrenched in the Corinthia Hotel and the Central Bank of Sudan.

The RSF is using jamming devices to disrupt military drone strikes and deploying heavy weaponry to halt military advances, according to the field source. However, in recent days, the military conducted airstrikes on RSF positions in these areas, including near the Arabi market and along Ghaba Street, close to the Strategic Battalion camp, destroying one tank and several combat vehicles, the source added.  

Near the Armored Corps camp in southern Khartoum, a military source told Mada Masr that clashes remain concentrated around the Rowad residential compound to the north, with reinforcements arriving at the Shagara military zone in early November.

Special operations forces launched targeted operations in the Gabra North neighborhood, making significant advances before retreating to earlier defensive positions, the military source said. In Gabra’s Block 18, a resident told Mada Masr that while RSF fighters are not present in large numbers, they recently assaulted several families that did not leave the area, resulting in the deaths of a father and son from one household, and a 70-year-old man from another.

In Khartoum’s South Belt, another field source told Mada Masr that airstrikes once again targeted the Sehrig station, a black market for fuel. The assault killed several RSF fighters as well as civilians. 

In Ezergab, north of Bahri, a resident told Mada Masr that fighting there intensified, with both sides deploying heavy artillery. 

A senior military officer told Mada Masr that following the military’s recent ground incursion in Khartoum on September 26, reconnaissance battles have been underway to weaken enemy defenses, with a broader offensive anticipated in the coming period.

In Omdurman, west of the capital, which became a focal point of intense fighting this week, the military advanced toward the Libya Market and the western Ombada neighborhoods. A military source told Mada Masr that the military advanced into neighborhoods 14, 15, 16, 21 and 29. On Saturday, airstrikes targeted RSF gatherings in Ombada al-Aamriya, south of the Kandahar market, killing dozens of RSF fighters, according to the source.

On October 30, residents of Omdurman woke to the sounds of heavy artillery fire that lasted into the following day, and heard from Ombada, Bahri and Mogran as the military ramped up shelling on RSF positions, according to local sources who spoke to Mada Masr.

Nader al-Hassan, a resident of Omdurman, told Mada Masr that the military’s artillery fire from the Wadi Sidna base in northern Omdurman had been intensely bombarding RSF locations in Ombada over the past days, with the shelling louder and more sustained than before.

Hassan added that west of the Harat neighborhoods and parts of Ombada had been experiencing nightly clashes since Tuesday evening, while areas in the Thawrat neighborhoods and old Omdurman have remained relatively calm.

A military source told Mada Masr that the Sudanese Armed Forces advanced into several neighborhoods in Ombada, as well as Ras al-Shaytan area, west of the Harat neighborhoods, as part of an operation to reclaim the Libya Market and western Omdurman.

In one of the key developments in the capital, a field source told Mada Masr that the military advanced into the Hattab operational base in the Dardug area, northeast of Bahri.

The field source also said that the military carried out multiple airstrikes in Khartoum, targeting RSF troops stationed in Tuti Island and Shambat in Bahri, and Hajj Youssef in East Nile as well as Khartoum City.

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Military mobilization in Gezira

In Gezira State in central Sudan, the military continues to amass troops, backed by residents and mobilized fighters, especially in the Butana area in eastern Gezira. 

A military officer told Mada Masr that thousands of residents, armed with their personal weapons, joined the mobilization. The officer added that the military is planning for a large-scale incursion in Gezira. 

Additionally, a unit specializing in urban warfare and comprising dozens of combat vehicles from the Central Reserve Forces arrived in the Managil axis in western Gezira on Tuesday, according to the officer. 

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Military prepares for major assault in Singa 

In September, the military launched a major offensive in Sennar State, conducting operations around Jebel Moya, which ultimately led to the recapture of the strategic area. A military source from the 17th Division in Singa, the state capital, told Mada Masr that the military’s siege and supply line attacks in the area have continued for four months since the RSF entered the state in June.

The source said that capturing Jebel Moya, combined with military breakthroughs in Gezira State, enabled the armed forces to reclaim the cities of Dindar and Suki in October and encircle Singa from four directions. 

The northeastern front is concentrated in Sennar City, where military troops and supporting battalions are stationed. Along with a strong military presence around the Arab bridge and in the town of Mayerno, the military has effectively blocked key access points to Singa. By securing these areas, the military placed the city under complete siege, isolating RSF troops in Singa and cutting off their supply lines, with airstrikes disrupting supply lines from Gezira. 

A military source told Mada Masr that the liberation of Singa is only a matter of time, pointing to recent internal RSF communications about potential surrender. According to the source, the military’s conditions for surrender require RSF fighters to hand over their weapons and relocate to designated sites outside the city. 

However, an RSF source told Mada Masr that while surrender remains an option, they consider the terms “suicidal,” especially given fears of potential retribution by mobilized fighters or members of the popular resistance forces allied with the military in the battles for Singa. 

A military source told Mada Masr that the RSF recruited intervention forces from border areas near the Central African Republic and South Sudan, moving them through the Kafia Kingi area in southwestern Sudan, across Khartoum and Gezira and into Singa. 

The source added that the RSF troops currently stationed within Singa have limited options: surrender or face continued airstrikes and siege tactics as the military targets RSF-held sites in the city. The source believes that the military’s strategy is aimed at minimizing its own losses in the central region’s battles. 

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RSF amass troops in North Darfur

In North Darfur’s capital, Fasher, a source in the military-allied armed movements told Mada Masr that the Jeel and Kefah neighborhoods saw intense clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday as the RSF attempted an assault on the main market in the city center. 

The source said that the military and armed movements repelled the attack, aided by airstrikes on RSF gatherings. However, the RSF renewed their attack on Thursday morning. 

Meanwhile, RSF troops continue to target residential areas, hospitals and service facilities within Fasher, the source added. 

The RSF is reinforcing its presence around Fasher, deploying heavy weaponry, including rocket launchers, according to a local source who spoke to Mada Masr. The source also said that an RSF cargo plane landed at the Nyala Airport on September 16, delivering military equipment and medical supplies. Additional RSF troops arrived from Um Dafug, and were briefly stationed in Nyala before advancing to Fasher in late October.

Meanwhile, a Darfur regional government source told Mada Masr that from October 28 to November 3, the RSF launched attacks on villages in the Kutum locality, including what they described as war crimes in the Breidak village that left 17 dead. A medical source in Fasher told Mada Masr that these attacks coincided with RSF units arriving in Kutum and parts of the Tawila locality. The troops currently mobilized in Fasher are one of the RSF’s largest deployments since April.

A source in the armed movements’ joint force told Mada Masr that the military, backed by their forces, has repelled nearly 140 RSF attacks on Fasher since May. 

However, the source said that the RSF has intensified its offensive tactics, targeting service facilities, hospitals and schools as well as housing areas for the displaced. 

Roughly one million residents in Fasher face shortages of critical medicines and medical supplies. According to a medical source at the Fasher Hospital who spoke to Mada Masr, available medical supplies only cover half of the city's needs, with supplies for kidney dialysis and treatments for chronic illness particularly lacking.

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Transitional Sovereignty Council approves key ministerial dismissals

On Sunday, the Transitional Sovereign Council issued orders to dismiss the ministers of foreign affairs, culture and information, trade and supply, and religious affairs and endowments, following recommendations from the Acting Prime Ministerial Affairs Office. 

A ministerial official from the office told Mada Masr that these dismissals reflect performance assessments, personal requests by some ministers and shifting priorities that call for specific expertise, including in international relations.

Among the most notable changes is the replacement of Acting Foreign Minister Hussein Awad Ali with Ambassador Ali Youssef, a prominent figure in facilitating Sudanese oil deals with China in 1999. Youssef held several positions within the Foreign Ministry and chaired the Sudan-China Friendship Association, which has been instrumental in strengthening  relations between the two countries.

On Wednesday, Youssef held a meeting in Cairo with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, joined by Sudan’s ambassador to Egypt, Emad Eddin Adawy. According to a source in the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, discussions centered on strengthening cooperation between Sudan and the Arab League’s General Secretariat. Youssef conveyed Sudan’s commitment to enhancing its relationship with the league and coordinating on shared interests.

During the meeting, Youssef briefed Aboul Gheit on recent developments in Sudan amid continued RSF aggression backed by regional allies, the source said. 

Youssef also met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty in Cairo, where they discussed three key subjects: Egypt’s regional support for Sudan, humanitarian issues and facilitating entry for Sudanese students and patients and water security concerns.

Earlier this week, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Egyptian Consulate in Port Sudan to protest the delays in issuing student visas for Sudanese applicants. According to student protesters, the consulate has held on to applicants’ passports since September 18.  

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Sudanese political forces skeptical of Trump’s stance on the war in Sudan

The re-election of Donald Trump as the 47th US president on Wednesday stirred political reactions in Sudan, specifically concerning its potential impact on the ongoing war in the country. Sudanese leaders swiftly extended their congratulations, including Burhan, RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo and former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Burhan expressed his eagerness to work with Trump to advance the interests of both nations. Hemedti also praised Trump’s win as historic, according to RSF-affiliated media outlets, and voiced hope that the new US administration would support genuine peace in Sudan.

Bakry al-Jack, spokesperson for the Civil Front for Democracy, told Mada Masr that it remains unclear how Trump will approach Sudan’s conflict. Jack noted that several US institutions — including the State Department, National Security Agency and Congress — hold their own views on Sudan, shaped by strategic interests such as Red Sea security, global trade flow and the growing influence of China and Russia in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and Sahara regions.

Jack suggested that these factors could influence the Trump administration’s position on Sudan, potentially as part of a broader vision for Middle East stability, the stance on Iran and US-Africa relations.

Meanwhile, Moatasem Ahmed Saleh, a leader in the Democratic Bloc, told Mada Masr that Trump’s win could benefit parties funding the war in Sudan, adding that Trump shows little concern for foreign issues that do not directly serve US strategic interests. Saleh suggested that Trump's win may lead to a US stance that more or less turns a blind eye toward those backing the war, likely enabling continued military support and funding. He believes that “US foreign policy will fundamentally shift regarding current global conflicts.”