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Sudan's armed forces retake strategic city from RSF

January 11, 2025

The recapture of the Sudanese city of Wad Medani came over a year after it fell to the RSF. Just days earlier, the Biden administration accused the rebels of genocide.

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A group of people in the streets of Port Sudan with hands in the air and a Sudanese flag waving celebrates the advance of Sudanese military forces
People in Port Sudan celebrating the recapture of the key El Gezira state capital Wad MadaniImage: AFP

Sudan's military and its allies have recaptured the strategic city of Wad Madani from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), officials said Saturday.

"The leadership of the Armed Forces congratulates our people on the entry of our forces into Wad Madani this morning. They are now working to clean up the remaining rebel pockets inside the city," the army said in a statement.

RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo acknowledged defeat but pledged to "regain" Wad Madani in an audio message to his fighters and the Sudanese people on Saturday evening.

"Today we lost a round, we did not lose the battle," Daglo said.

Why is Wad Medani important?

Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State, in central Sudan, holds strategic importance as it is at the crossroads of major trade routes.

It is also the closest major town to the capital. The city lies about 170 kilometers (105 miles) southeast of Khartoum.

Embedded on the frontline with the Sudanese army

In the early months of the war, Wad Medani served as a refuge for displaced families.

The recapture of Wad Medani came more than a year after it fell to the RSF in October 2023. 

The recapture of the state as a whole could mark a turning point in the war that began in April 2023. 

Civil war in Sudan

The war has left tens of thousands of people dead and displaced millions, while leaving more than 30 million in urgent need of aid.

The UN calls the conflict the world's worst displacement crisis, with famine officially declared in parts of the northeast African country.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration accused the RSF and allied militias of committing genocide.

The RSF can trace its origins to the Janjaweed militias, which former autocrat Omar al-Bashir heavily relied on to quell a 2003 uprising in Darfur.

ess/lo (AP, AFP, Reuters)