Sudanese army battles RSF in final Khartoum strongholds amid rising humanitarian crisis and international calls for peace.

The Sudanese army on Friday engaged in intense combat with the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in what are believed to be the RSF's final strongholds in Khartoum’s Omdurman City.

According to eyewitnesses who spoke with AFP, heavy fighting erupted early in the morning across the western neighborhoods of Omdurman, including El-Muwaileh, Kandahar, and Ombadda.

In the aftermath of the clashes, members of the Sudanese army shared videos on social media showing their presence and deployment in the Ombadda neighborhood. Witnesses also reported that the army was engaged in combat with RSF forces in southern Omdurman as part of efforts to reclaim the area.

The RSF has not released any official statement regarding the latest confrontations in Khartoum. These areas in Omdurman are among the last pockets of RSF control in the capital, following significant territorial losses, including the Presidential Palace, which the paramilitary group lost last week.

Over recent weeks, the Sudanese army has made notable gains, steadily pushing the RSF out of key territories in multiple states beyond the capital. These include Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar, and Blue Nile states.

The war between the army and RSF, which began in April 2023, has led to catastrophic humanitarian consequences. More than 20,000 people have been killed and 14 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. However, research conducted by U.S. universities places the death toll closer to 130,000.

The conflict, now affecting 13 of Sudan’s 18 states, has prompted urgent appeals from the international community and the United Nations to end the violence. There is growing concern over a looming humanitarian disaster, with millions at risk of famine and death due to severe food shortages.