Sudan Nashra: Decisive battles in Khartoum continue for 4th day | Battles intensify around Jaili in Bahri

Seventeen months after the war in Sudan first erupted, the conflict has returned to its birthplace in the capital of Khartoum. Early Thursday morning, military forces crossed the Fatihab and White Nile bridges into Khartoum, reentering the city while fighter jets and drones swarmed the skies and thick columns of smoke rose from various areas due to massive explosions.

Intense battles are still ongoing for the fourth consecutive day in the strategic Mogran area in central Khartoum, near the Presidential Palace and the Sudanese Armed Forces General Command.

The thematic resonance with the start of the war in Khartoum is not limited to just the intensity of fighting in recent days after a long period of stalemate, but also the element of surprise, much like the morning of April 15, 2023. This time, however, it’s the military, not the Rapid Support Forces, that took the initiative.

The military’s push into Khartoum, separated from Omdurman by only a few hundred meters, took nearly a year and a half to achieve. Urban warfare in the city has largely relied on positioning troops in tall buildings and targeting any moving object — a tactic employed by the RSF in areas under its control.

In Bahri, one of the three cities that make up the capital, the military made one of its most significant advances since the war began, drawing its camps and forces closer to a link-up. On Thursday, the military crossed into Bahri via the Halfaya Bridge. By Friday, the military announced the full capture of the Kadro area, which is connected to the old city, home to the Signals Corps camp, by Maouna street. 

The military and allied armed movements are advancing toward the Jaili oil refinery in the far north of Bahri, while the Third Infantry Division in Nile River State captured the Hagar al-Asal area near the city on Friday. Bahri battles are also still ongoing.

Meanwhile, in Gezira State, the fight for the capital Wad Madani, which fell to the RSF in December, saw renewed confrontations take place over the week, backed by the military’s air force.

In the west, the battle for Fasher rages on as the RSF continues its artillery shelling of civilian areas, while the military answers with airstrikes and direct ground clashes persist. Yet, the situation seems to be tilting in favor of the Sudanese Armed Forces and its allied armed movements, with 300 combat vehicles loaded with equipment and personnel arriving in Fasher, according to a military source who spoke to Mada Masr. Additionally, airdrops of military supplies to the Sixth Infantry Division's camp are ongoing.

On the political front, the Transitional Sovereignty Council Chair and military Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan held a series of meetings with heads of state and international officials in New York, where he arrived for the 79th session of the United Nations’ General Assembly.

In his address to the General Assembly on Thursday, Burhan stated that the roadmap to ending the war in Sudan is clear: cease combat operations, withdraw RSF forces from occupied areas where they have displaced residents, and disarm them, allowing citizens to return to their homes.

***

Military makes major push into Khartoum 

In the early hours of Thursday, the Sudanese military crossed into Khartoum city from Omdurman for the first time since the war began, using the White Nile and Fatihab bridges located in Omdurman’s military zone, which houses the Engineers Corps camp.

Backed by airstrikes, drones, and guided heavy artillery, the ground operation involved two military brigades and turned the Mogran area — home to Khartoum’s tallest buildings and the Central Bank of Sudan, adjacent to Omdurman — into a fierce battleground. Smoke billowed over the city throughout the day.

The outcome of the Mogran battles, which persist for the third consecutive day, will decide whether the military can link its advancing forces from Omdurman with those in the General Command. This would impose a new military reality in the capital. 

The military’s largest operation in Khartoum began at 1 am on Thursday. Forces advanced from the Engineers Corps’ site in Omdurman, crossing the Fatihab Bridge, and pushed into the Strategic Corps site, which had been under RSF control since April of last year.

A field source told Mada Masr that special operations forces continued their advance, reaching the Arab Market, near the Presidential Palace, and areas surrounding Jackson square, which are under RSF control. This strategic central Khartoum area is located between the General Command and the Shagara military zone.

In Bahri, north of Khartoum, intense battles took place in areas under RSF control, particularly in the east and northeast of the city, as well as areas near the East Nile locality and along the Nile river bank overlooking Omdurman. The RSF has used its positions along the Nile to shell Omdurman, resulting in the deaths of 50 civilians between September 19 and 25, according to a medical source at the Khartoum State Health Ministry who spoke to Mada Masr.

The military initiated operations around the Weapons Corps camp in the Kadro military area and the Signal Corps camp and then expanded across multiple fronts in the city, including the neighborhoods of Kadro, Doroshab, Samarab, and Nabta, according to several field sources who spoke to Mada Masr.

On Saturday, the military reached the Halfaya area, several kilometers from the Signals Corps camp, after its forces from Omdurman joined those in Bahri. 

On the Jaili axis, in the far north of Bahri, the military advanced about 15 kilometers southward toward the Jaili oil refinery, which has been under RSF control since the outbreak of war, according to the field sources. The military also led an operation in the Hagar al-Asal area near Jaili, destroying several RSF vehicles and killing several RSF fighters, a field source told Mada Masr. The area was captured on Friday evening.

The military destroyed approximately 20 four-wheel-drive vehicles and killed around 200 RSF fighters in Bahri battles, the field source said.

Field sources in Shendi in the Nile River State told Mada Masr that the military’s special operations forces were ambushed by the RSF on Saturday, resulting in 10 deaths and over eight injuries. One of the field sources said that the RSF executed the ambush after maneuvering around the advancing forces en route to the Jaili oil refinery. The ambush did not stall the advance of military-allied forces, which are engaged in intense battles near the refinery, the source said.

Khartoum’s military map

Khartoum city

This renewed military push echoes the clashes that erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese military and the RSF around key sites: the Presidential Palace, the General Command, the Republican Palace and Khartoum International Airport. The significance of this axis lies in its concentration of sovereign headquarters with critical influence over political and military decisions.

At the time, the military secured the General Command facilities and Khartoum University, while the RSF captured the Presidential Palace. In August 2024, the military bombed the palace after the RSF set up rocket launchers within it, using it to shell southern Bahri, particularly targeting the Signal Corps, separated from the General Command by the Blue Nile in central Khartoum.

Additionally, during the first days of the war, the military seized parts of Khartoum International Airport, near the General Command, including the runway, while the RSF controlled the main buildings. The military has been conducting extensive combing operations in the area, according to a military source who spoke to Mada Masr.

The military also secured the vicinity of the Armored Corps camp in the Shagara military area, from which forces were deployed in August 2024 to comb large parts of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Bahri

In Bahri, the outbreak of war ignited confrontations across the north and east, including East Nile, Mansheya Bridge, Kafouri neighborhood, Shambat Bridge, Halfaya Bridge, and the Signal Corps camp. This axis is critical as it serves as a supply and logistical support line for the RSF.

Over the past six months, the military has worked to cut off RSF supply lines in the East Nile and northern Bahri, particularly around the Jaili oil refinery, which the military has been besieging since April 2024, according to a field source in northern Khartoum who spoke to Mada Masr.

Omdurman

In Omdurman, west of the capital, key locations include the radio and television headquarters, the Engineers Corps camp, and the vicinity of Wadi Sidna military base. The political and military significance of this area lies in its role as a supply, command and control point for military forces moving from Omdurman to southern Khartoum camps, whether in the Shagara military area or the General Command, which continues to oversee military operations.

According to several senior military sources, the General Command remains fully operational, managing military directives and overseeing military zones across Sudan’s cities and regions, including Fasher and Babanusa, where the military has maintained its positions.

***

Military operations in Gezira State 

In Gezira State, central Sudan, intense clashes broke out on Sunday as the military thwarted an RSF attempt to retake the village of Shaygab, a local source told Mada Masr, inflicting heavy losses on both RSF equipment and personnel.

According to the source, the fighting began early in the morning and lasted for around six hours. The military’s air force intervened, cutting off RSF supply and reinforcement routes from the cities of Wad Madani and Hasaheisa, which bolstered the military’s position on the ground.

Dozens of RSF members were killed or injured, the source said, and several combat and armored vehicles were either destroyed or captured. The military also sustained casualties, with eight soldiers killed and 12 wounded.

A military source told Mada Masr that over the week, the military conducted a series of airstrikes on RSF gatherings in the villages of Bika, Talha, and Kereiba, as well as on locations in Wad Madani, the state’s capital, and Hasaheisa.

The military had regained control of Shaygab two weeks earlier, capturing what had served as one of the RSF’s advanced defense lines for Wad Madani, which fell to the RSF in December.

In a related development, a source from the popular resistance in Managil city told Mada Masr on Wednesday that the military targeted an RSF unit assembled in Hasaheisa, employing airstrikes, drones, and guided artillery. The unit had been preparing to attack the military’s advanced defenses on Wad Madani’s western axis, according to the source.

For months, the military, backed by the Operations Authority forces, armed movements, and mobilized popular resistance fighters, has been amassing troops on two main fronts with the goal of reclaiming Wad Madani. Forces from the Managil axis in the west have advanced into Arab city and Shaygab village, about 12 kilometers from Wad Madani.

The second front is located to the east in the Faww area, which has so far been limited to artillery shelling and targeted operations in nearby villages, as well as repelling some RSF attacks in those areas. This week, operations led by the military, backed by strategic battalions in Gadarif State, destroyed an attacking RSF force on the Faww axis, east of Gadarif city. The military inflicted significant losses on the RSF in both personnel and equipment during the operation, according to a field source.

In the southeastern region, specifically in Sennar State bordering Gezira to the south, some areas continue to witness skirmishes and limited battles. On Thursday, the air force targeted RSF positions in Singa, Suki, Sennar Sugar Factory, and Jebel Moya, according to a military source who spoke to Mada Masr.

***

Military reinforcements arrive in Fasher amid ongoing battles

In the western city of Fasher, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr that the military repelled a new RSF attack on Monday, as they attempted to infiltrate the city’s outskirts. 

The military destroyed an armored vehicle, a tank, and several other combat vehicles belonging to the RSF, according to the sources. 

The RSF continues to shell residential neighborhoods and service facilities within the city, the sources said.

A source from the military-allied armed movements told Mada Masr that they delivered reinforcements consisting of more than 300 fully armed combat vehicles, along with fighters, to their forces stationed in Fasher. According to the source, these forces are expected to play a significant role in securing the city and launching operations to liberate other areas in the Darfur region.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the military launched heavy airstrikes on the cities of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, and Daein, the capital of East Darfur State. The air force also conducted raids on areas in Kuma, Saraf Omra, and Kabkabiya in North Darfur.

Residents of Nyala told Mada Masr that the airstrikes targeted the city’s airport, including the runway, aircraft hangars and terminals, causing extensive damage. In Daein, the airstrikes targeted RSF gatherings, although some of the attacks resulted in civilian casualties, according to a local source who spoke to Mada Masr.

***

Burhan holds series of meetings in New York

On Tuesday, Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chair and military Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan left Port Sudan for New York to attend the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. This marks his third participation as head of the Sudanese delegation and his second since the outbreak of the war.

Over two days, Burhan met with several heads of state and leaders, including Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. According to a diplomatic source from Sudan’s UN mission who spoke to Mada Masr, their discussions centered on bilateral relations, ways to enhance cooperation across various fields, particularly given their shared border, and coordinating efforts to combat security threats that jeopardize the stability and safety of citizens in both countries, agreeing to close the borders and cut off RSF military supply lines.

Burhan also met with the African Development Bank’s Board of Directors Chair Benedict Okey Oramah. Sudan's Ambassador to Washington Mohamed Abdalla Idris and Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Al-Harith Idris were also in attendance.

In another meeting, Burhan sat with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit, who expressed the league’s support for efforts to end Sudan’s ongoing war and restore the country’s role on all fronts. According to an informed source from Sudan’s UN mission, Abul Gheit emphasized that restoring security and stability in Sudan is a top priority for the Arab League.

Burhan also met with Libyan Presidential Council President Mohamed al-Menfi, where they discussed bilateral relations and addressed security threats and economic cooperation.

Burhan also briefed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the developments in Sudan and the efforts to restore security, stability, and peace, as well as economic matters. Furthermore, he met with Norwegian International Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim to outline Sudan’s perspective on the current humanitarian crisis.

Burhan’s UN General Assembly address

During his address at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Burhan asserted that the will of the Sudanese people would prevail in this war, which he said was initiated by the RSF with international backing.

The roadmap to ending the war in Sudan is clear, he said, involving a halt in combat operations, the withdrawal of the RSF militia from occupied areas where they have displaced residents, and their disarmament, enabling citizens to return to their homes. This should be followed, he added, by a comprehensive political process that restores the path to democratic political transition and devises sustainable and nationally developed solutions to prevent the recurrence of wars and military coups.

Burhan reiterated the Armed Forces’ commitment to Sudan’s democratic transition and the people's right to choose their leader, “and will never accept the return of the previous regime, which was rejected by the people."

Burhan also spoke of a conspiracy against Sudan, with both political and logistical backing at the local and regional level, in flagrant violation of international law. Burhan questioned why the international community “has not taken firm or dissuasive measures against [the RSF] and those who support it," citing their crimes against humanity and war crimes, and continues to disregard UN Security Council and regional organizations' resolutions.

Burhan condemned the growing unilateral actions outside the UN framework as contrary to the UN Charter and international law. He denounced the use of coercive political and economic measures to achieve political ends, which he said significantly contributes to destabilizing security, exacerbating political and economic turmoil and fueling wars. Selective justice and double standards have become prevalent in international affairs, he noted.

Stating that the war originated from the RSF’s attempt to seize power by force, Burhan said that this led to a rapid escalation into a war against the Sudanese people and their state. He argued that the RSF's crimes of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and genocide warrant its classification as a terrorist organization, pointing out that it receives support from regional countries, which supply them with funds and mercenaries to achieve political and economic gains, in blatant defiance of international law.

He added that the continued systematic attacks by the RSF exacerbate the suffering of citizens, which is why they had sought early solutions. Burhan noted that the Jeddah Declaration in May 2023 should have sufficed to end the war, but political and regional forces supporting the war saw differently, leading to the current situation.

Burhan said he holds the RSF accountable for the current humanitarian crisis facing Sudanese citizens and called on the international community and organizations to fulfill their declared commitments to provide the necessary aid to the millions displaced.

He urged the UN to take up its responsibilities in protecting developing countries from the ambitions of nations that still believe they control the destinies of peoples through power or wealth. He argued that many crises, including the one in Sudan, stem from double standards, political coercion, economic blackmail, and the failure of the UN, responsible for maintaining global peace and security, to deter those who defy international will.

It will not be acceptable for the Sudanese government and people to engage with any country or organization that supported the war or participated in the killing and displacement of Sudanese people, Burhan said, whether by supplying weapons, facilitating their transfer, or providing political or any other form of support in the aggression against the Sudanese state and its people. "We are determined to defeat and crush these aggressors, regardless of the support and assistance they receive,” he stated.