KEY POINTS
- Sudanese army retakes Wad Madani, boosting morale and disrupting RSF.
- RSF withdrawal highlights resource depletion and weakened resolve.
- Civilians recount suffering and relief after months of RSF occupation.
Jubilation erupted in Wad Madani as civilians and soldiers celebrated the Sudanese army’s recapture of the strategic city from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This is a turning point in the civil war that has been raging for nearly two years in Sudan—a war that has forced more than 12 million people to flee their homes and leftover fifty percent of the population in need of food. Residents were glad to free themselves from the RSF rule that made them feel the danger for the past months.
“We are so happy, we can’t express ourselves,” one woman said.
“A whole year we have been squeezed; we haven’t been able to breathe.”
Army’s advance weakens RSF’s hold
The Sudan Armed Forces’ (SAF) swift takeover of Wad Madani strengthens its position in the ongoing conflict. The recapture of this fertile region disrupts RSF supply lines to Khartoum and secures a critical base for future operations.
Military experts see the victory as an added boost to morale for the SAF. “The SAF’s capture of Wad Madani puts large RSF contingents at risk of encirclement and allows the army to intensify pressure on Khartoum,” said Jalel Harchaoui of the Royal United Services Institute.
According to Reuters, the RSF, overwhelmed by airstrikes and depleted resources, withdrew northward toward other towns and Khartoum. There were credible reports of army attacks on RSF-fleeing combatants with almost no fighting taking place in the town of Wad Madani.
Civilians recount hardships under RSF control
Some of its residents said they experienced famine and suffering during the RSF occupation and reported incidents of looting and violence. “If we had just 1000 pounds ($0.40), they demanded it,” said lawyer Ahmed Abdelqadir. “They exhausted and humiliated us, leaving us with nothing.”
The former rebel groups in the Joint Forces and Sudan Shield led by RSF defector Abuagla Keikal contributed hugely to the successes of the SAF. RSF fighters, many of whom come from tribal militias outside Gezira, reportedly lacked the will to fight for the central region.
The army’s victory in Wad Madani comes after weeks of advances and signals a shift in momentum as SAF aims to reclaim Khartoum and other RSF-controlled areas.
