Sudanese army declares Khartoum state liberated
May 20, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army on Tuesday announced it had seized the last strongholds of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in western and southern Omdurman, declaring Khartoum liberated.
The majority of Khartoum state had been under RSF control since the war began on April 15, 2023. However, the Sudanese army and its allies launched a large-scale military operation on Sept. 26, 2024. Months of fighting enabled them to regain control of most of the capital’s localities and expel RSF forces, who had been concentrated in southern and western Omdurman since late March.
Army spokesman Nabil Abdallah said in a statement: “Today, we declare the entire Khartoum State purged of any presence of the Dagalo militia elements, and our national capital cleansed of the rebels and their collaborators.” He added that “Khartoum State is completely free of rebels.”
Abdallah added that “the armed forces and all components involved in the national war continue to perform their duty in fighting the remnants of the Daglo militia and their collaborators and supporters from local, regional, and international forces. They are achieving victories day after day with unwavering determination and will, thanks to God’s grace and success, and the support and solidarity of our people.”
Early Monday morning, the army resumed ground operations in southern Omdurman, engaging in fierce battles against the RSF that allowed them to take control of the Al-Salha area. Another force, advancing from western White Nile State, successfully regained full control of the Umm Ramta locality and all villages in the southern countryside of Omdurman located west of the Jebel Aulia Dam.
In late March, RSF elements withdrawing from Khartoum and Jebel Aulia localities committed widespread violations against civilians in the villages of Al-Jumu’iya, resulting in a large number of casualties and the displacement of thousands.
Platforms affiliated with the Sudanese army broadcast video clips showing the deployment of forces in western and southern Omdurman. They also published videos of the army seizing massive warehouses of weapons and drones, and food supply depots.
In parallel, the Sudanese army waged fierce battles against RSF forces in western Omdurman, enabling them to control neighbourhoods 27, 26, 28, 30, and the Al-Muwailih area at the entrance of the Exports Road (Omdurman – Bara).
The Export Road is considered a strategic access point that the RSF had utilized since the early days of the war to transport soldiers and military equipment from western Sudan to operational areas in the capital.