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Sudan’s army has launched a major offensive against the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in its ongoing civil war, targeting key areas in the capital, Khartoum. On Thursday, government forces shelled RSF positions in Khartoum and Bahri, areas they lost control of at the beginning of the conflict.
The war, which began in April 2023, has plunged Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the UN. An estimated 150,000 people have been killed, and over 10 million—about a fifth of the population—have been displaced.
Despite efforts by the US and other nations to broker a ceasefire, the military’s offensive marks a significant escalation. Residents of Khartoum reported that artillery and airstrikes intensified overnight, with clashes heard across the city. The army reportedly crossed key bridges over the Nile, moving into areas previously controlled by the RSF, though the RSF claims to have repelled these advances.
This push by government forces is their most substantial in months, aimed at regaining lost territory. The RSF has controlled much of the capital since the early days of the war.
At the UN General Assembly in New York, Sudan’s de facto leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, voiced support for efforts to end the conflict, but stressed that peace could only come if RSF forces vacated Sudanese territory. He also accused regional states of funding the RSF and supplying mercenaries in violation of international law.
The UN has repeatedly called for urgent action to protect civilians and end the fighting. Since September, at least 78 civilian deaths have been documented from artillery shelling and airstrikes in greater Khartoum. Both sides have been accused of bombing civilian areas indiscriminately.
The war has also triggered one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crises, with millions fleeing the violence. Half of those displaced are children, and two million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Sudan is now facing the world’s largest hunger crisis, with fears of famine as people are unable to grow crops.
In Darfur, there are warnings of potential genocide against non-Arab communities. A cholera outbreak has claimed more than 430 lives in the past month, with the ongoing conflict making it difficult to deliver treatment to affected areas.
