How important is the city of Wad Madani, which was regained by the Sudanese army? | Sudan war news

The Sudanese army has regained control of Wad Madani, a strategically important city located about 200 kilometers southeast of the capital, Khartoum, in a major blow to the paramilitary forces. Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“The Armed Forces Command congratulates our people on the entry of our forces into Wad Madani this morning. They are now working to clear the remaining rebel pockets inside the city.”

This comes with the army advanced To Omdurman, the country’s second-largest city, last week after making steady gains in recent months. Wad Madani – the crossroads of the main supply routes linking several states – has been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces since December 2023.

But the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, insisted that the battle was not over yet. “Today we lost a round, we did not lose the battle,” said Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.

Since fighting broke out in April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces for control of this North African country, more than 12 million people have been displaced. The largest humanitarian crises in the world.

How important is it for the Sudanese Armed Forces to regain control of Wad Madani? Can the army repeat its recent success as it seeks to reclaim areas still under the control of the Rapid Support Forces?

What is the strategic location of Wad Madani city? Where is it located?

The city is the capital of Gezira State, located in the center of the country and south of Khartoum.

According to Heba Morgan of Al Jazeera, whoever controls the agricultural and commercial center has easier access to other parts of the country.

“When the RSF took control of Wad Madani in December 2023, this gave them the ability to move into other parts of the country such as Sennar in the southeast, Blue Nile in the east, and White Nile in the south as well. Morgan said in a report from the Sudanese capital.

The city is also located at a “very important point” from which supplies and other “logistical arrangements” can be brought into the capital, according to Hamid Khalfallah, a Sudanese policy analyst and doctoral candidate at the University of Manchester.

“Whoever controls Madani (has) much more flexibility regarding different things inside and outside Khartoum,” Khalaf Allah told Al Jazeera.

In the early days of the conflict, before the RSF took control, the city was a safe haven for displaced families.

Since the Rapid Support Forces took control of the city, it has become one of the bloodiest sites of paramilitary attacks on civilians, as well as burning fields, looting hospitals and markets and flooding irrigation ditches.

Did the Sudanese army take over the entire island state?

No, the RSF still maintains control over most of the state, as well as roughly the Darfur region of western Sudan and large parts of the south of the country.

The army’s control of the strategic city comes in the wake of its intensified campaign to regain the island in recent months after the restoration of Sinnar state in the south.

The army benefited from the development of events in October, when the Supreme Commander of the Rapid Support Forces in the state defected and joined the Sudanese Armed Forces. The commander’s forces participated in operations on Saturday.

Last week the army advanced In the second largest city, Omdurman, it took control of several areas from the Rapid Support Forces.

How important is it to restore the city of Wad Medani?

This represents a major turn of events in the war and another blow to the Rapid Support Forces, which had the upper hand against the army in the conflict that has been going on for almost two years.

The army’s control will allow it to reach other parts of the country from which the RSF will now be cut off, such as Sinnar, Blue Nile and White Nile states.

Morgan said, “Now that the Rapid Support Forces have lost those lands, the progress they were able to achieve will not be possible, and their forces in those areas will be trapped between the Sudanese army forces.”

She added: “The city of Wad Medani is also located where the army’s 1st Infantry Division is stationed, and this will give a morale boost to the army.”

Morgan explained that when the Rapid Support Forces took control of the city, there were many complaints among officers and soldiers that the leadership was not meeting the standards of the Sudanese army, and that there had to be an alternative to the leadership.

“Now that Wad Madani is back under the control of the Sudanese army, the army – and especially its leadership – will likely gain more support, not only from soldiers and officers but also from Sudanese citizens as well.” she said.

In addition, Khalaf Allah, the researcher, said reclaiming the city could help with Sudan’s hunger crisis, as the state is home to Sudan’s most fertile land and agricultural projects – with most agriculture banned under the RSF.

“Now there will be room for people to grow, farm, produce food, etc., to address the famine and food security crisis in Sudan,” he said.

Khalfallah added that the turn of events may also provide a long-awaited respite for the city’s residents who are “suffering from the most horrific human rights violations and atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces.”

However, Khalfallah warned that there was a pattern of the army targeting pro-democracy activists in cities it had already recaptured, which could be a worrying development if repeated in Wad Madani.

How much territory does the army control now?

Outside of Wad Madani, the Sudanese army also controls the north and east of the country, as well as parts of the capital. The map below indicates the areas of control between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces until October 2024.

How did the Sudanese people react to the arrest?

In Wad Madani, Sudanese soldiers in camouflage uniform waved their rifles in the air as they passed through the city on the back of their trucks, smiling after claiming to have “liberated” the city, social media footage verified by Al Jazeera showed.

The Local Resistance Committee, one of hundreds of pro-democracy volunteer groups across the country coordinating aid on the front lines, hailed the advance as an end to the “tyranny” of the RSF.

Meanwhile, witnesses in military-controlled cities across Sudan reported that dozens celebrated joyfully in the streets.

In the city overlooking the Red Sea Port SudanVerified videos showed noisy crowds waving the Sudanese flag in celebration following the news The strategic city was captured From the control of the Rapid Support Forces.

In Omdurman, chants of “one army, one people” broke out, an eyewitness told the French news agency.