Sudanese army encircles RSF in Omdurman Radio TV building

February 25, 2024 (OMDURMAN) – The Sudanese army announced on Sunday it was tightening its siege on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) inside the national Radio and Television Corporation headquarters in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.

Fierce fighting has erupted between the two sides for ten months over control of strategic sites in the city. During, recent weeks, the army changed its tactic as its troops now attack the RFS seeking to defeat them and retake their positions in Khartoum state particularly.

The RSF, a paramilitary force that previously was part of the army, has been stationed at the corporation’s headquarters for security purposes. However, following the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, they seized control of several strategic sites, including the official Radio TV buildings in Omdurman.

In a brief statement Sunday, the army claimed that the Rapid Support Forces had engaged in a “mass escape” near the radio station, possibly indicating the imminent collapse of their defences.

The army also published drone footage showing its troops close to the corporation’s headquarters.

Military sources reported the deployment of special forces in recent days to neighbourhoods surrounding the Radio and Television buildings, including Abu Ruf, Bayt al-Mal, and Al-Mulazmeen.

On Sunday, Colonel Ibrahim Al-Houri, a military spokesperson, stated on Facebook that the army had encircled the RSF forces stationed within the site, offering them the option to surrender or face further confrontation.

The army’s strategy prioritizes besieging the RSF stationed at the radio and television headquarters. This approach aims to minimize casualties on both sides, as the headquarters house a significant number of regular army prisoners held by the RSF, and also contain irreplaceable historical archives of the national broadcasting stations.

The capture of Omdurman could significantly impact the RSF’s ability to maintain control in other parts of Khartoum and Al-Jazirah states where military operations are taking place.

In related developments, the Sudanese army released videos showing its troops, for the first time, making new advances in the Ombada suburb, located in western Omdurman.

Separate military reports detail airstrikes destroying 56 vehicles in the far north, allegedly carrying weapons and ammunition from Libya.

(ST)