![[FILE] A poster with an image of a Sudanese general amidst destruction in the city of Omdurman on November 1, 2024. EFE-EPA/FILE/Sara Creta](https://i0.wp.com/efe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/rss-efef21c1119a98d8987cfbd0417c01f65db6778e946w.jpg?fit=1920%2C1280&ssl=1)
Khartoum, Jan 11 (EFE).- The Sudanese Army entered the strategic city of Wad Madani on Saturday, regaining control of the Al Jazira state capital from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a large-scale offensive.
The city, a critical commercial hub and refuge for displaced Sudanese, had been under RSF control since December 2023.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces and other regular forces are advancing along the Wad Madani axis, inflicting heavy losses on the rebel militia,” the military said in a statement on its Facebook page, sharing a video showing soldiers celebrating their entry into the city.
Wad Madani, located south of Khartoum, is the capital of Al Jazira state and was Sudan’s second-largest city before the conflict erupted in April 2023.
It also became a vital refuge for thousands of Sudanese fleeing violence in Khartoum and other areas captured by the RSF.
The Sudanese army had withdrawn from Wad Madani on Dec. 18, 2023, after the RSF seized large areas of the country early in the war.
Minni Arko Minawi, the governor of the Darfur region, hailed the offensive as a victory for the Sudanese Armed Forces.
“The resistance and dignity troops have liberated Wad Madani from the walls of misery and aggression,” Minawi wrote on his X account, celebrating what he described as a crucial step in regaining control of Sudan.
The military confirmed that efforts were still underway to “clear rebel pockets within the city” and vowed to reclaim “every inch of land” under RSF control.
Before the war, Wad Madani was a key commercial and economic hub with a population of about 700,000. Following the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, it became one of the main refuge areas for Sudanese displaced by the violence in Khartoum and other regions.
The Sudanese Army have launched several offensives to regain territory near the capital, Khartoum, as well as parts of the south and Darfur, which remain RSF strongholds.
The ongoing war between the Sudanese Army and the RSF has devastated Sudan, causing tens of thousands of deaths and forcing more than 14 million people to flee their homes. According to the United Nations, Sudan faces the world’s worst displacement crisis. EFE
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