Battle for Khartoum Intensifies as RSF and SAF Trade Heavy Blows

Battle Overview

Heavy fighting has erupted across Khartoum as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a major offensive to capture remaining Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) strongholds in the capital. Artillery exchanges and airstrikes have killed dozens of civilians trapped in residential areas.

Current Frontlines

Central Khartoum: RSF controls 70%
Omdurman: Fierce battles ongoing
Bahri: SAF holding bridge crossings
Airport area: Destroyed, contested

Today’s Developments

Military Action

SAF airstrikes hit RSF positions
RSF artillery targets army bases
Residential areas caught in crossfire
Critical infrastructure destroyed

Civilian Toll

87 civilians killed (24 hours)
200+ wounded overwhelming hospitals
No water for 5 days in many areas
Power grid 90% non-functional

Humanitarian Catastrophe

Trapped Population

An estimated 800,000 civilians remain in greater Khartoum:

Cannot flee due to fighting
No humanitarian corridors
Food supplies exhausted
Medical care unavailable

“We are dying slowly. No food, no water, no medicine. Just bombs and bullets” - Khartoum resident via satellite phone

Healthcare Collapse

75% of hospitals non-functional
Surgery without anesthesia
No blood for transfusions
Medical staff fled or killed

Strategic Implications

RSF Objectives

The paramilitary force seeks:

Complete capital control
Legitimacy through conquest
Resource control
Negotiating leverage

SAF Response

The military relies on:

Air superiority (limited)
External supply lines
Provincial reinforcements
Egyptian support

Regional Dynamics

External Support

RSF backed by:

UAE (alleged weapons)
Wagner/Russia (advisors)
Libya militias (fighters)

SAF supported by:

Egypt (military aid)
Eritrea (logistics)
Iran (drones reported)

Refugee Crisis

8.5 million internally displaced
2.3 million fled to neighbors
Chad, Egypt overwhelmed
South Sudan reverse flow

Failed Diplomacy

Recent Attempts

Jeddah talks collapsed (May 20)
AU mediation rejected
UN envoy resigned
Regional initiatives stalled

Obstacles

Neither side willing to:

Accept ceasefire first
Share power
Allow humanitarian access
Engage seriously

Looking Ahead

Military analysts see three scenarios:

Prolonged urban warfare destroying capital
Country partition along military lines
External intervention (unlikely)

As Africa’s third-largest country tears itself apart, the international community remains paralyzed. The battle for Khartoum represents not just military control but the future of Sudan itself - unified or fragmented, democratic or militarized.