The Sudanese army announced that it has regained control over Sennar City in Sennar State after Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed to have seized the capital of the southeastern state on Saturday, causing thousands to flee, according to witnesses.
The RSF, which has been in conflict with Sudan’s regular army for over a year, announced on X that its forces had taken over the army’s 17th Infantry Division in Sennar City. Residents confirmed to AFP that RSF troops were deployed in the city’s streets, while witnesses reported army aircraft flying overhead and the sound of anti-aircraft fire.
Earlier, the head of the Sovereign Council and army leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, visited the front lines in the same state. The council published images of al-Burhan with soldiers in the state, which has been experiencing intermittent clashes between the army and the RSF.
Witnesses earlier on Saturday reported street clashes and a “state of panic among citizens trying to flee.”
Since April 15 last year, Sudan has been embroiled in a deadly war between the regular armed forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, resulting in a deep humanitarian crisis.