Sudan's army has recaptured two key districts in Bahri, building on a string of gains against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group inthe past month, military sources in the Sudanese capital told The National.
The army entered El Ezba and Dardouk Market on Thursday, the sources said, an advance that pushed the RSF farther from the city centre. Soldiers posted footage on social media of themselves celebrating after the victory.
The two areas were among a handful in Bahri where the RSF had remained operational. Their capture puts the army almost entirely in control of the city, which together with Omdurman and Khartoum comprise the greater capital region.
Securing the districts will enable the army to gain a foothold in Khartoum’s East Nile district and subsequently connect its forces in the capital to those pushing north from Al Gezira state, south of the capital. The agriculture-rich state is connected to the capital by the Blue Nile flowing from the city of Wad Medani, the state capital that was retaken by the army this month.
The army launched a campaign to wrest the capital from the RSF in September. Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, said on Wednesday that the third phase of the campaign had begun and vowed to intensify offensives in the coming weeks.
The military sources said the army on Thursday also recaptured the city of Umm Ruwaba in North Kordofan state, about 350km south-west of Khartoum.
This advance “brings the army closer to liberating the city [of] El Obeid from the RSF, which would effectively cut off the militia from routes it uses to supply its forces in the south of Suan and in Omdurman”, said Sudanese political analyst Hatim Dirdiri.
It is only a matter of time before the RSF is pushed out of these areas entirely, clearing the way for the army’s takeover of the presidential palace
Sudanese political analyst Hatim Dirdiri
Despite the army’s victories in the capital, the RSF remains in control of some parts of Khartoum, including the presidential palace and the airport. The Nile-side palace is about 2km from the armed forces headquarters where troops recently ended an RSF siege.
“It is only a matter of time before the RSF is pushed out of these areas entirely, clearing the way for the army’s takeover of the presidential palace," Mr Dirdiri added. "That would be an important symbolic win for Al Burhan, who is clearly very happy with the army’s recent gains against the militia."
The RSF had controlled access to the army’s key bases in the capital since early in the war that began in April 2023. Regaining control of the armed forces headquarters in Khartoum and the Signals Corps base in Bahri have enabled the army to better co-ordinate its attacks on the RSF, Mr Dirdiri said.
The victories were made possible by the army's ability to unite its previously isolated forces in Omdurman, Bahri and Khartoum, which are separated by branches of the Nile. This has made its recent advances “much faster than earlier operations, such as the one to liberate [parts of] Omdurman last year”, Mr Dirdiri said.
“The RSF had previously been able to prevent the army from connecting its different field units by controlling a number of strategic bridges and by stationing snipers in several high-rise buildings around central Khartoum,” he added.
“The army first had to employ attrition tactics to lift the RSF’s hold over its bases. It then used controlled offensives on RSF-held areas, after which it would retreat.”
Speaking from the newly recaptured General Command of the Armed Forces on Sunday, Gen Al Burhan vowed to keep fighting until “every inch desecrated by the militia” is retaken.
The army last week said it expelled RSF forces from Al Jeely oil refinery, north of Khartoum. Fires broke out during the fighting, which the army blamed on the RSF.
The civil war in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 11 million people, the UN says.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
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