Key Facts
- Start date
- 15 April 2023
- End date
- 26 March 2025
- Recorded deaths
- Over 61,000
- Duration record
- Longest battle in any African capital in history
- First RSF action
- Seizure of Khartoum International Airport on 15 April 2023
Strategic Narrative Overview
Fighting erupted on 15 April 2023 when RSF forces stormed Khartoum International Airport, several military bases, and the presidential palace in an attempted coup. Combat rapidly engulfed the capital and spread into suburbs, particularly Omdurman, where RSF fighters seized key positions along the White Nile bridge. The battle devolved into protracted, grinding urban warfare that persisted for nearly two years, making it the longest continuous battle in Sudanese history.
01 / The Origins
Tensions between Sudan's Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated sharply in April 2023 amid a broader power struggle following the 2021 coup. On 13 April 2023, RSF troops mobilized near Khartoum and Merowe, prompting the SAF to warn of imminent confrontation. The crisis reflected deep rivalry between SAF commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over control of the Sudanese state.
03 / The Outcome
On 26 March 2025, the SAF declared victory after expelling RSF forces from most of Khartoum, including the airport and presidential palace. The battle left over 61,000 dead and the capital severely damaged after nearly two years of urban combat. The SAF's recapture of Khartoum represented a major shift in the wider Sudanese civil war, though RSF forces remained active in other parts of the country.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.