The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have claimed to have regained control over the State Radio and Television Corporation's building in Omdurman, asserting that their forces, along with security forces and the people of Sudan, were successful in recapturing the building from the terrorist formations of Rapid Support Force head Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo and foreign mercenaries. This announcement was made on the SAF's official Telegram channel.
The SAF's statement noted that the Sudan Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) has not yet confirmed the loss of positions. On March 10, the Sudanese military stated that a ceasefire in the country is only possible if SIS supporters adhere to the agreements reached in Saudi Jeddah in 2023. Without this condition being met, a ceasefire will not be imposed, even during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on March 11. This statement was made in response to a March 8 UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, which was supported by 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council, with Russia abstaining. The resolution also calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities during Ramadan and unimpeded humanitarian access, including across the border.
The document further encourages the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, to act as a mediator in coordinating peace efforts.
The situation in Sudan escalated in April 2023 due to disagreements between the chairman of the country's Sovereign Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the head of the Rapid Support Force, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The main tensions revolve around the timing and methods of forming a unified armed force, and whether the commander-in-chief should be a professional military officer, as advocated by al-Burhan, or an elected civilian president, as insisted by Dagalo. Clashes broke out between the SIS and the army in Merowe and Khartoum on April 15, 2023, quickly spreading to other parts of Sudan. The conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.
The warring parties held a series of consultations in Jeddah in 2023. A ceasefire between the army and special forces was repeatedly announced, but none of the agreements reached have been fully implemented.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Christopher Michel/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS