On Saturday, September 30, 2023, Sudan’s military announced that it had regained control of a key district in greater Khartoum, specifically the Kafouri district in Khartoum North, also known as Bahri. This district had been under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the conflict between the army and the RSF began in April 2023.
Military spokesman Nabil Abdullah stated that army forces, in collaboration with allied units, successfully cleared Kafouri and other areas in Sharq El Nil, located 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the east, of what he described as “remnants of the Daglo terrorist militias” on Friday, September 29, 2023. The army’s recent offensives have led to significant advancements in Bahri, an RSF stronghold since the onset of the war, pushing paramilitary forces to the outskirts.
Kafouri is recognized as one of Khartoum’s wealthiest neighborhoods and has served as a crucial base for RSF leaders. Notably, the area included the residence of Abdel Rahim Daglo, the brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and his deputy in the paramilitary organization. The recapture of Kafouri represents a substantial weakening of the RSF’s influence in the capital, indicating the army’s continued efforts to reclaim full control of Khartoum North, which is home to approximately one million residents.
Greater Khartoum encompasses not only Khartoum North but also Omdurman, located across the Nile River, and the city center to the south. On Thursday, September 28, 2023, a military source informed AFP that the army was making advances toward central Khartoum, nearly two years after the RSF had taken control of the city at the war’s onset.
Eyewitnesses in southern Khartoum reported explosions and clashes occurring in central Khartoum on the morning of September 30, 2023. These developments represent one of the army’s most significant offensives since the outbreak of war between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former ally Daglo’s RSF, which had swiftly captured much of Khartoum and other strategic areas.
The ongoing conflict has inflicted severe damage on Sudan, leading to the displacement of over 12 million people and resulting in what the International Rescue Committee has labeled the “biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded.”
