The Sudanese army has regained control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, marking a significant breakthrough in its battle against a powerful militia that has seized vast areas of the war-ravaged nation.

Since April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in intense clashes for territorial dominance. The ongoing conflict has led to one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with over 28,000 fatalities and 11 million people displaced, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data initiative.

For months, the RSF had maintained a stronghold over Khartoum, the country's capital. However, on Friday, the Sudanese government announced that its forces had reclaimed the Presidential Palace and would persist in efforts to retake full control of the city.

"Today, the flag is raised, the palace is back, and the journey continues until victory is achieved," Information Minister Khalid Al-Aiser wrote on X.

Despite this victory, parts of Khartoum remain under RSF control, as the militia dominates regions in the west, south, and central Sudan, including Darfur—an area plagued by ethnically driven violence. Meanwhile, the SAF controls the eastern and northern regions.

Regaining Khartoum would be a symbolic triumph for the SAF, as the RSF had been moving toward establishing a parallel government. However, the continued fighting poses a dire threat to civilians, who are frequently caught in the crossfire.

"Dozens of civilians, including local humanitarian workers, have been killed by artillery shelling and airstrikes from both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in eastern Khartoum and northern Omdurman since March 12," said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office, as violence escalated in the capital.

Both warring factions have faced allegations of war crimes. In January, the United States accused the RSF of committing genocide—the second instance in Sudan in the past two decades.

A recent UNICEF report has also implicated the SAF in atrocities, including sexual violence against young children, some as young as one year old.

“Credible reports indicate that the RSF and allied militias have raided homes in eastern Khartoum, carrying out summary executions, arbitrary detentions, and looting essential supplies from community kitchens and medical facilities,” Magango added. “Meanwhile, SAF and its affiliated fighters have been accused of similar crimes, including looting and mass arrests in areas under their control, such as Khartoum North (Bahri) and East Nile.”