Khartoum, Feb 3 (IANS) The Sudanese army on Tuesday announced that its units have entered Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State in southern Sudan, after more than two years of siege under the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied forces.
"The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have broken the siege on Kadugli and entered the city," the SAF Special Work Forces said in a brief statement.
Meanwhile, a military commander confirmed to Xinhua news agency that the SAF forces entered Kadugli and have begun securing key facilities, driving RSF forces "out of their positions in and around the city."
He said the next phase would focus on stabilising security, protecting civilians, and reopening roads to allow humanitarian aid into the area.
Sudanese army soldiers posted video footage filmed outside the headquarters of the 14th Infantry Division in Kadugli, showing army units entering the city amid chants from troops, the deployment of military vehicles, and the raising of the Sudanese flag.
Since mid-April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a conflict between the SAF and the RSF, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions inside and outside the country.
On Sunday, a Sudan Airways passenger plane touched down on the newly resurfaced runway of Khartoum International Airport, marking the first commercial flight to reach the capital since civil war erupted in April 2023.
The arrival from Port Sudan carries significant symbolic weight for a nation attempting to rebuild after years of devastating conflict. Under heavy security, 160 passengers -- including government employees and students -- disembarked onto a runway still surrounded by the skeletal remains of buildings destroyed in the fighting, Xinhua news agency reported.
As the cabin doors opened, some passengers knelt to kiss the tarmac while the traditional high-pitched cries of women's ululations echoed across the airfield.
"Seeing the capital from the air after all these years felt like a dream come true," said passenger Khougali Mohamed Abbas.
The airport was a primary flashpoint when the conflict began, suffering repeated bombardments that left its terminals, control tower, and dozens of aircraft in ruins. Government forces regained control of the site in March 2025, but the scale of the damage has made rehabilitation a slow and costly process.
The resumption of flights follows a period of relative calm in the capital. The Sudanese government officially relocated its headquarters from Port Sudan to Khartoum on January 11, and the International Organisation for Migration estimates that 1.4 million residents have returned to the city.
--IANS
/as
