The leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has declared that his forces will return to Khartoum despite recent losses, insisting that the war against the army is far from over.
In an audio message shared on Telegram, Dagalo—widely known as Hemedti—admitted that RSF fighters had pulled back from parts of the capital last week but described the move as a “tactical repositioning” rather than a retreat.
“It’s true that our forces withdrew from Khartoum, but this was a calculated decision by our leadership. We will return, stronger and more determined,” Dagalo said
The statement follows recent advances by Sudan’s army, which has regained control of key areas in Khartoum and Omdurman, forcing RSF units to retreat. On Saturday, the military seized a major market in Omdurman that RSF had used as a staging ground for attacks.
Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has rejected any possibility of reconciliation with the RSF, vowing to eliminate the paramilitary group.
The war, which erupted in April 2023, stemmed from a power struggle between the military and RSF during a fragile transition to civilian rule. The ongoing conflict has devastated Khartoum, displaced over 12 million people, and pushed nearly half of Sudan’s 50 million population into acute hunger.
A study last year estimated that as many as 61,000 people had died in Khartoum state alone during the first 14 months of the war, with the actual toll likely much higher.
Despite the RSF’s setbacks, Dagalo’s pledge to return suggests the conflict is far from over, raising concerns of further destruction in Sudan’s war-torn capital.