In a dramatic escalation of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, the national army launched a massive, coordinated offensive on the capital city of Khartoum, turning the densely populated urban center into a battlefield. Heavy artillery fire, airstrikes, and street-to-street combat have engulfed the city, forcing civilians to seek shelter in their homes as explosions rock the skyline and plumes of smoke billow from key districts.
The attack marks a critical moment in the power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose bitter rivalry has plunged the country into chaos since April 2023. What began as a dispute between Sudan’s top generals General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leading the SAF, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the RSF has devolved into full-scale warfare, with Khartoum now at the heart of the conflict.
In the early hours of the morning, the SAF launched a series of air raids targeting RSF strongholds in Khartoum, aiming to break the months-long stalemate that has left large parts of the city under the control of militia forces. Fighter jets streaked through the sky, bombing suspected RSF positions in Omdurman and Bahri, while tanks rolled into strategic neighborhoods in a bid to dislodge entrenched fighters.
Residents of Khartoum, once a bustling hub of commerce and culture, now face daily terror as their city turns into a warzone. Many are trapped in their homes, unable to flee as the fighting intensifies. We heard the planes overhead and the sound of bombs in the distance, but today they are much closer. The whole house shook, said Ahmed, a father of three who has been hiding in his basement with his family. We can’t leave, there’s gunfire everywhere.
Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of targeting civilians during the conflict, with countless reports of homes being bombed, marketplaces destroyed, and indiscriminate shelling in residential areas. Human rights organizations have condemned both sides for war crimes, as the number of civilian casualties continues to rise.
The streets of Khartoum, once filled with traffic and the vibrant energy of daily life, are now eerily deserted, littered with the wreckage of cars, buildings, and barricades. Hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties, and many have been forced to close due to a lack of supplies and constant attacks. Desperate residents face shortages of food, water, and medicine, with humanitarian aid unable to reach those in need due to the relentless fighting.
The situation in Khartoum reflects the wider devastation that the conflict has brought to Sudan. Millions have been displaced, with refugees streaming into neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt. Those who remain face the threat of starvation, disease, and violence as the country’s infrastructure collapses under the strain of war.
International efforts to broker a ceasefire have so far failed, with both the SAF and RSF unwilling to negotiate. Regional powers, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have called for an end to the violence, but diplomatic initiatives have been largely unsuccessful in stopping the bloodshed. The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe if the fighting continues, yet there is little hope of a resolution as both sides dig in for a protracted battle.
As Khartoum burns, the future of Sudan hangs in the balance. The conflict, once contained to power struggles within the military elite, now threatens to tear the nation apart, with ethnic, political, and regional divisions further fueling the violence. The once-promising transition to democracy, which began after the ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, now seems like a distant memory, as the country plunges into a dark and uncertain future.
With no clear end in sight, the people of Khartoum and Sudan are left to endure a relentless cycle of destruction and despair. The city, a symbol of Sudan’s hopes for a brighter future, has become the epicenter of a brutal and unforgiving war.
This narrative captures the intensity of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, focusing on the major assault on Khartoum and the impact on civilians. It reflects the larger themes of military power struggles, humanitarian crises, and the disintegration of Sudan’s political and social fabric as the war continues to escalate.
Ennywealth
