The leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has vowed to reclaim Khartoum, just days after the General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army regained control of the capital.
In a recorded message, Hemedti described the RSF’s recent withdrawals in Omdurman as a strategic decision by military leadership.
“Yes, we left Khartoum, but we will return stronger than ever,” he declared.
Rejecting any notion of peace, he dismissed negotiations with the army. “We will not engage in dialogue or agreements with them, only the gun will decide,” he stated.
The conflict between the RSF and the Burhan-led forces has raged since April 2023, claiming over 20,000 lives and displacing 14 million people, according to UN and local sources.
Independent research from U.S. universities suggests the death toll may be as high as 130,000.
On Saturday, the army recaptured the strategic Libya Market in western Omdurman, a longtime RSF stronghold.
Two days earlier, it announced full control of Khartoum, securing the airport, security headquarters, and several neighborhoods for the first time since the war began.
The conflict has engulfed 13 of Sudan’s 18 states, deepening the humanitarian crisis. The UN and international community warn of impending famine and mass casualties if fighting continues unchecked.
As both sides dig in, Sudan teeters on the brink, with no resolution in sight.