Sudan's Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al Burhan has arrived at the presidential palace in the capital and declared Khartoum is "free" after the expulsion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary.
"It's over… Khartoum is free," al Burhan, who is also the army's commander, said on Wednesday at the presidential palace surrounded by dozens of soldiers, shortly after the army reclaimed Khartoum airport.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Khartoum State Government's official platform said on Facebook that Khartoum is free of RSF.
Al Burhan's arrival marks the first time his helicopter has landed in Khartoum since the civil war erupted nearly two years ago.
The army announced on Friday that it had regained control of the presidential palace, while the RSF downplayed the loss, insisting it did not signify defeat.
The military seizes several key buildings in central Khartoum as it solidifies its hold on the capital, but fierce fighting continues with hundreds of RSF fighters killed.
RSF 'haven't collapsed'
Meanwhile, Basha Tabiq, an adviser to the commander of the RSF, dismissed claims that the army had secured a victory in Khartoum, insisting the paramilitary group remains intact.
Tabiq wrote on X that paramilitary forces have not "collapsed" and "never will," adding that the army has not achieved any "victory" over their fighters in Khartoum.
He added later, however, that "for military strategic reasons, the leadership decided to reposition our forces in Omdurman due to various logistical and operational factors."
After the RSF seized control of Khartoum, Sudanese authorities relocated the temporary capital to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.
In recent days, the army has also regained control of key government and private-sector buildings in central Khartoum and the al-Muqrin district.
The RSF's territorial control has been shrinking rapidly in recent weeks, with the army reclaiming areas across Khartoum, Al Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar and Blue Nile states.
The army and RSF have been fighting a war since mid-April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities.
Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
The international community and the UN have called for an end to the war, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death due to food shortages. The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan's 18 states.
