After nearly 11 months of fighting, Sudan's army declared on Tuesday that it had seized control of the state broadcast headquarters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This would be the army's most significant victory against its rival paramilitary group.
The broadcast building is located in Omdurman, part of Sudan's more considerable capital and across the Nile. The area around military bases, bridges, and supply routes has seen intense fighting.
The UN Security Council called for a truce to allow much-needed humanitarian aid into Sudan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started on Monday, but fighting has persisted.
After being militarily behind for most of the conflict, the army, which has made some recent gains in Omdurman, rejected the truce call despite the RSF's welcome.
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If it took over the state broadcast building, its control over "old Omdurman" would grow, even though the RSF still holds the western and southern parts of the city.
According to witnesses, the army has used drones in Omdurman to retake ground after relying on heavy artillery and air power to try to counter the RSF's infantry advantage.
The RSF did not immediately provide a statement.
As fighting broke out in mid-April 2023, the RSF took control of the state broadcast building and used it and other public facilities for military operations.
Since the RSF captured significant portions of the capital early in the conflict, officials allied with the army have operated out of Port Sudan. National TV and radio have been broadcasting in this Red Sea coastal city.
Some of the army's soldiers were seen cheering after seizing vehicles and weapons within a kilometer of the radio and TV building in a video that was posted on Tuesday and whose location was confirmed by Reuters.
