The Sudanese army has secured a significant victory in its ongoing conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) by capturing the key city of Wad Madani. Videos circulating on social media show crowds celebrating as soldiers entered the city, marking one of the military’s most substantial gains in the nearly two-year-long war.
RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, confirmed the loss in an audio message, blaming the army’s air superiority and Iranian-made drones for the defeat. Despite his admission, he vowed to continue fighting, even if it took another 20 years.
Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira state and located 87 miles (140 km) south of Khartoum, holds strategic importance as a supply hub connecting multiple regions. Control over the city could shift the dynamics of the ongoing conflict that began in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese army.
The RSF still holds most of Sudan’s western Darfur region and parts of the south, while the army maintains control in the north, east, and parts of Khartoum. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced around nine million people, making it one of the world’s largest displacement crises, according to the UN.
Sudan is also facing a worsening famine, with 24.6 million people urgently needing food aid. Earlier this month, the US imposed sanctions on Hemedti, accusing the RSF of committing genocide and systematic atrocities during the conflict.