Sudan army chief says 'Khartoum liberated' after airport capture

(CLO) General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), declared on Wednesday that "Khartoum has been liberated", just hours after Sudanese government troops recaptured Khartoum airport from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The statement was made from the presidential palace, which government forces regained control of last Friday. It was also the first time General Al-Burhan had returned to the Sudanese presidential palace in nearly two years.

Earlier in the day, the Sudanese army also surrounded the area around Khartoum airport, marking a major turning point in the two-year conflict between the SAF and RSF. According to military sources, RSF forces withdrew from the airport, running across a bridge to leave the central area of the capital.

Sudanese military members film themselves inside the Presidential Palace after declaring control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum on March 21. Screenshot

An unnamed military source revealed that the army had surrounded the strategic Jebel Awliya area, south of central Khartoum – one of the RSF’s last strongholds in the area. The SAF also took control of both ends of the Manshiya Bridge, which spans the Blue Nile in Khartoum, leaving the Jebel Awliya Bridge as the RSF’s only escape route from the area.

Since the conflict broke out in April 2023, the RSF has controlled Khartoum airport, just a short distance east of the central administrative and commercial area.

However, in recent days, the RSF has gradually withdrawn from areas previously under its control, moving mainly south of Khartoum and concentrating on Jebel Awliya, which is considered the force's main withdrawal route via bridges connecting to the neighboring city of Omdurman.

The conflict between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the RSF paramilitary force broke out in April 2023, after political transition talks failed. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti), quickly took control of many key areas in Khartoum and several other regions, causing a serious humanitarian crisis.

After nearly two years of fighting, more than 9 million Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes, making it the world's largest displacement crisis. The United Nations and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned of civilian massacres, war crimes and the risk of widespread famine in Sudan.

Cao Phong (according to AJ, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tu-lenh-quan-doi-sudan-noi-khartoum-da-duoc-giai-phong-sau-khi-chiem-san-bay-post340264.html