KHARTOUM — Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed Saturday that the war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will not end until the group is eliminated from every corner of the country.

In a pre-recorded Eid al-Fitr address aired on state television, Burhan said: “There will be no retreat from defeating and crushing the Rapid Support Forces militia, which has committed the most horrific violations against the Sudanese people.”

“The joy of victory will not be complete until the rebellion is eliminated from every last part of the country,” he added, praising the Sudanese public as “the rightful owners of victory” for their support of the armed forces.

The statement came after the Sudanese army regained control of the Libya Market in western Omdurman, a longtime RSF stronghold.

The capture marks the first time since April 2023 that the army has controlled the area, opening the door to expanding military operations in RSF-held western Omdurman.

The development is part of a series of major advances by the army over the past week, including full control of Khartoum, Bahri, and several parts of the surrounding areas.

On Thursday, the military declared it had cleared the final RSF pockets in Khartoum State, reclaiming key sites such as the capital’s airport and military and security headquarters.

RSF forces, whose territorial control has eroded rapidly in recent weeks, have lost ground across multiple states, including Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar, and Blue Nile.

Sudan has been mired in conflict since April 2023, when a power struggle between Burhan’s army and the RSF erupted into full-scale war.

The United Nations estimates more than 20,000 people have been killed and 14 million displaced, while academic research from US universities suggests the actual death toll could be as high as 130,000.

International pressure for a ceasefire is intensifying amid warnings of a looming humanitarian catastrophe, with millions at risk of famine and disease. The conflict has engulfed 13 of Sudan’s 18 states. — Agencies