A New York Times reporter and photographer were the first Western journalists to visit central Khartoum since the civil war broke out two years ago. The scale of how much has been lost was inescapable.

The recapture of the presidential palace caps several months in which momentum in Sudan ’s civil war swung decisively in the SAF’s favour. If the army can consolidate control of Khartoum it would allow Gen Burhan to install a transitional government and attempt to gain wider international recognition.

Fighting in Sudan broke out in April 2023, when the RSF launched attacks on Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) bases throughout Sudan, capturing significant territory, including key parts of the capital city and its airport.

Extraordinary scenes of jubilant soldiers waving flags at Khartoum's presidential palace have suggested this could be a turning point in Sudan's bitter two-year civil war. But RSF militia are fighting back and the future remains unpredictable.

Sudan’s military has consolidated its grip on Khartoum, retaking more key government buildings a day after it gained control of the capital's Republican Palace from a notorious paramilitary group.

The gains come a day after the military seized control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum from a notorious paramilitary group.