Sudan’s military pushes back rebels in second city of Omdurman

Army takes control of RSF territories in Mansoura, Murabaat and Elfitihab, and seizes weapons and ammunition depot.

Sudan‘s military forces claim to have advanced into the country’s second-largest city Omdurman, taking some areas previously controlled by rival rebel group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Fighting was reported to be raging in the city, which sits directly across the Nile River from the capital, Khartoum, for a second day on Wednesday. The army has now seized control of former RSF territories in Mansoura, Murabaat and Elfitihab, according to Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera’s Sudan correspondent.

Fighting in #Sudan’s capital is mostly in Omdurman today, with the army taking control of former RSF territory in Mansoura, Murabaat and Elfitihab. RSF has been using drones in southern Omdurman in the past days to try and stop or minimise today’s attack. https://t.co/zLxupC1zSN

— Hiba Morgan (@hiba_morgan) January 7, 2025

The campaign in Omdurman is part of a new phase of the war that erupted in April 2023, with fighting heavily concentrated in Khartoum and the last contested state in the sprawling western region of Darfur. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

In a social media post, our correspondent said RSF fighters have been deploying drones to try to halt the military’s gains.

The Sudan Tribune also confirmed the advance, adding that three army officers had been freed from captivity.

It reported that government soldiers had seized a weapons and ammunition depot maintained by the RSF, as well as storage facilities containing flour and sugar.

Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah told the outlet that the release of the three officers followed a special operation, which killed up to 20 RSF fighters, including a commander.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the statement.

The military gains come after the United States determined that the RSF had “committed genocide” in Sudan and imposed sanctions on its leader, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.

International agencies have accused both the RSF and government forces of atrocities and war crimes.

Sudan has been torn apart and pushed towards famine by the war that erupted 21 months ago, making the country the scene of the world’s largest internal displacement crisis.