Sudan’s army has launched a major offensive against the powerful paramilitary group it is fighting in the country’s civil war, targeting areas of the capital it lost when the conflict began.
In a pre-dawn attack on Thursday, government forces shelled Rapid Support Forces (RSF) bases in the capital Khartoum and Bahri in the north.
Sudan has been embroiled in war since the military and RSF began a fierce power struggle in April 2023, leading to what the United Nations calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Up to 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict while more than 10 million people – about a fifth of the population – have been forced to flee their homes.
The military escalation comes despite US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire, which is being discussed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.
Residents of the capital said airstrikes and shelling began last night and intensified at dawn.
Multiple sources said the army had crossed key bridges over the Nile – the river that separates government-controlled areas in Omdurman from RSF-controlled areas.
RSF claimed to have repelled these attempts, but fighting and smoke were reported from several locations in central Khartoum.
From the beginning of the war, paramilitary forces controlled almost the entire capital.
Thursday’s advances appeared to be the government’s first significant effort in months to reclaim some territory.
The United Nations has called for “immediate” action to protect civilians and end the fighting.
The report said that since the beginning of September, at least 78 civilians have been killed by shelling and airstrikes in the Khartoum area.
Much of the worst and most intense fighting has taken place in densely populated areas, with both sides accusing each other of indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas.
“The relentless fighting across the country has caused suffering for millions of civilians, creating the world’s fastest growing displacement crisis,” was warned by the United Nations on Wednesday.
The report notes that half of the 10 million people forced to flee their homes are children, while at least two million have sought protection in neighbouring countries.
They also called Sudan “the world’s biggest hunger crisis”. There are fears that famine will spread because people cannot grow any crops.
There are also warnings of a possible genocide against non-Arabs in the western Darfur region.
Cholera is also raging across the country – more than 430 people have died from the easily treatable disease in the past month, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
But treatment in affected areas is complicated by conflict.
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty
