Sudanese army says it has cleared Khartoum Governorate of RSF forces

The Sudanese army announced late Thursday that its troops had succeeded in clearing the last pockets of resistance from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum Governorate.

“Today, our forces successfully cleared the last pockets of the terrorist RSF militia in Khartoum Governorate by force and with determination,” the army said in a statement.

The army said “the RSF militia is spreading rumors of a withdrawal from Khartoum as part of an agreement with the Sudanese government,” which it denied.

The RSF has not commented on the army's statement.

Sudan's Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared the capital Khartoum “free” on Wednesday after his forces expelled the RSF from the city.

The RSF's territorial control has been shrinking rapidly in recent weeks, with the army reclaiming areas across Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar and Blue Nile states.

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since mid-April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

The international community and the UN have called for an end to the war, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death due to food shortages. The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan's 18 states.