Burhan arrives in Sinjah after army recaptures city

November 23, 2024 (SINJAH) – General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief and head of the ruling Sovereign Council, arrived in Sinjah on Saturday, hours after the army recaptured the city from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Following the victory in Sinjah, the army and its allies have tightened their grip on RSF forces in Sennar state and the Blue Nile region, cutting off key supply routes.

In a statement, Burhan congratulated the army, regular forces, joint forces, reservists, and the Sudanese people on the “great and glorious victory, which will have further consequences.”

He praised the army’s recapture of Sinjah and the 17th Infantry Division headquarters on October 23, exactly one month after Al-Dinder. He vowed to continue operations until the RSF was defeated.

Sinjah is the first state capital to be retaken by the army since the conflict began, providing a significant morale boost to its forces and allies. The victory has fuelled hopes of a further advance towards Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira state.

Tens of thousands of people celebrated the recapture of Sinjah in Sennar city, Gedaref, Al Hawata, Shendi, and Omurdman. The victory has thwarted the RSF’s ambitions to control the Blue Nile region and advance towards Gedaref.

However, RSF forces remain present in some areas of Sennar, including Al Dali, Al Mazmoum, Abu Hajar, Karkoj, and villages west of Al Dinder.

Burhan reiterated the army’s determination to “liberate every inch that agents and traitors have defiled and to defeat the terrorist militia that targets the unity of Sudan.”

The army’s recapture of Sinjah follows a campaign in which its forces advanced slowly from Al Dinder, Al Suki, Sennar, and Blue Nile, retaking towns and villages along the way.