Sudan Army Continues Advance in Khartoum, Retakes Airport from RSF Rebels

The RSF had held the airport since the beginning of the civil war in 2023, while Jebel Awliya connects Khartoum to the western Darfur region, which remains a stronghold for the paramilitary. The army’s moves to recapture both sites could prove significant as fighting continues.

The SAF reclaimed the presidential palace in Khartoum last Friday, marking a significant milestone in the nearly two-year military conflict against the RSF. This advance is part of the army's recent momentum, pushing RSF fighters from previously controlled territories in the capital.

“The capture of the Republican Palace is significant both symbolically and strategically. Symbolically, it’s a morale boost for many Sudanese who have been resisting the RSF’s violent grip over Khartoum. It represents more than just a building - it signals a shift in the military dynamics on the ground,” Sudanese activist and analyst Elbashir Idris tells OkayAfrica via text.

Social media videos show jubilant soldiers celebrating throughout the palace on Friday, a once-grand symbol of power now reduced to ruins. Despite the destruction, troops displayed visible elation as they moved through the complex with assault rifles and grenade launchers, chanting victoriously.

This recapture strengthens the SAF's position in Sudan's center, though fighting is expected to continue as the RSF maintains control over large portions of the country, particularly the western Darfur region.

“It depends on how the SAF proceeds,” Idris says of what could happen next. “On one hand, their advance could lead to the RSF being pushed out of Khartoum entirely - and that would bring some relief to civilians who’ve lived under siege for nearly two years. On the other hand, the danger hasn’t passed. RSF is still launching counterattacks, often in densely populated areas, and we’ve already seen that civilians continue to bear the brunt of this war. Especially whenever we see gains by the Sudanese army, that ultimately results in the RSF taking out their frustrations on civilians in their territories as we’ve seen since SAF’s counteroffensive started [last September].”

For Khartoum residents, the SAF's advance may provide some relief from the RSF, which stands accused of grave human rights violations and widespread looting of civilians fighting to stay alive amidst a deadly conflict. The SAF has also faced accusations of atrocities, though reportedly to a lesser degree, which means many in Sudan are dealing with a dilemma.

While there’s some celebration of the army’s advance in Khartoum, many Sudanese were staunchly against the military government led by Al Burhan and Dagalo, adding a complex layer to the SAF’s recent victories. “Many Sudanese didn’t trust military rule before and with good reason. Protesters were killed by security forces during the revolution in 2018/2019 and after the 2021 coup,” Idris says, stating that many civilians and activists have joined the armed struggle against the RSF out of necessity, “because they see it as the greater threat.”

Idris adds that civil liberties aren’t guaranteed by the SAF and its allies winning the war, “but they do create the possibility of reclaiming Sudan from a militia that has committed mass atrocities, including ethnic cleansing. What happens next will depend on whether SAF and its allies can push for a real political transition after the guns go silent. [It] isn’t just whether the RSF will fall, but whether Sudan’s future will be led by those who sacrificed for it - not those who hijacked it”

This story was originally posted March 21, 2025 at 5:14 p.m. and has been updated.

March 26, 3:50 p.m. Updated to include the Sudan's Armed Forces retaking of the Khartoum airport and quotes from Elbashir Idris.