The Sudanese army has achieved a significant breakthrough in the civil war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Military leaders announced that they have captured the important city of Wad Madani, and the RSF leader has admitted to the loss.
Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazira state, had been under RSF control for over a year. The city is strategically located and is the nearest major city to Khartoum, approximately 200 kilometres southeast of the capital.
This capture marks the army’s biggest success in over a year. The Sudanese government has hailed it as a “great victory” after the “liberation” of the city, with celebrations erupting in Khartoum.
The RSF confirmed that the Sudanese army has taken control of the city but vowed to “recapture” it.
The news comes just days after UNICEF warned that more than three million children under the age of five are at risk of severe malnutrition, with the situation being particularly dire for approximately 772,000 of them.
Since April 2023, the army and the RSF have been embroiled in a civil war, which has caused a massive humanitarian crisis according to aid and human rights organisations.
Over 12 million people have been displaced, including at least 300,000 from Al-Jazira. The RSF still controls most of that state.
