Khartoum 'completely free' of RSF: Sudan

The Sudanese army said on Tuesday that it had dislodged rival paramilitaries from their last positions in Khartoum state, nearly two months after regaining control of the capital's centre.

"We affirm that Khartoum state is completely free of rebels," military spokesperson Nabil Abdallah said in a statement, referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), locked in a brutal conflict with the regular army since April 2023.

The army said it launched on Monday a "large-scale offensive" to push the RSF out of its last pockets of control in southern and western Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city.

The army said its forces clashed with RSF fighters in the area earlier on Tuesday, and an AFP correspondent reported hearing explosions from eastern Omdurman.

Thousands killed in war

The RSF did not immediately comment on the military's latest announcement, which would cement army control over central Khartoum, pushing the paramilitaries back towards their stronghold in the vast western region of Darfur.

The war, now in its third year, pits the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the RSF, under his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The conflict has killed thousands of people, displaced 13 million and created what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The latest battles around Khartoum come as both sides seek to install rival governments.

Former UN official appointed prime minister

On Monday, Burhan tapped former UN official Kamil Idris as prime minister, in what analysts see as an attempt to present a functioning civilian-led administration amid the ongoing war.

The African Union welcomed the appointment, calling it "a step toward inclusive governance" and expressing hope the move would "restore constitutional order and democratic governance".

Burhan also appointed two women, Salma Abdel Jabbar and Nawara Abu Mohamed, as members of the ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council, while stripping the body of its powers to oversee the cabinet – moves aimed at showing progress towards civilian rule, said analyst Kholood Khair.

She said Burhan wants to "maintain power but share liability... because everything is now blamed on him."

Use of long-range drones

His latest moves were also meant to appeal to the African Union after Sudan's membership was suspended in 2021, Khair added.

In April, the RSF said it would form its own government in territory under its control, though analysts say it is unlikely to win international backing.

After a major battlefield victory in March, when the army recaptured most of Khartoum, the RSF this month launched attacks deep into army-held territory.

Long-range drone strikes blamed on the paramilitaries have targeted key infrastructure in army-held northeastern Sudan, including the wartime capital Port Sudan and power stations supplying electricity to millions.