Sudan’s army announced on Sunday that it had regained control of the town of el-Gitaina, south of the capital, and lifted the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) siege on the strategic western city of el-Obeid.
The military’s advance follows intense fighting in White Nile state, where activists reported that RSF attacks over three days last week left more than 200 people dead. The region has become a focal point in the army’s efforts to reclaim lost territory amid Sudan’s devastating civil war.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the army and the RSF, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced 12 million people, and triggered a humanitarian crisis marked by acute hunger and disease.
The army’s battlefield gains came just hours after the RSF signed a political charter with allied political and armed groups—mainly from Sudan’s western regions—aiming to establish a breakaway government. The move has drawn strong opposition from Egypt, a key backer of the Sudanese Armed Forces.
“We reject any calls for the formation of parallel frameworks to the current framework in Sudan and affirm our full support for Sudan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a press conference with his Sudanese counterpart, Ali Youssef. He emphasized that Sudan’s territorial integrity remains a key concern for Cairo.
Despite multiple attempts at peace talks, negotiations have stalled, and both warring factions continue to receive arms from foreign allies, according to human rights groups and international observers. As Sudan’s war drags on, efforts to broker a lasting political solution remain elusive.