Sudan army retakes presidential palace after two years of war

Newshour

BBC

News, Daily News

4.4 • 984 Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Sudanese army says it has recaptured the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after almost two years of fighting. We hear from a citizen near Khartoum.

Also in the programme: We hear how a single fire, outside Heathrow, paralysed Europe's busiest airport for more than twelve hours; and the peaceful death of the Soviet spy, credited with having stopped a third world war.

(Photo: Sudanese army members film themselves inside the presidential palace, Khartoum, Sudan, March 21, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Social Media via Reuters)

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is News Hour. Hello, welcome to the program from the BBC World Service. We're coming to you
0:09.2	live from London. I'm Paul Henley. In the ongoing civil war in Sudan, it isn't yet clear whether
0:15.7	the army, having recaptured the presidential palace in Khartoum, the capital, amounts to a significant change of
0:22.3	fortunes. Sudanese army soldiers filmed themselves, waving guns in the air and praising God,
0:27.9	celebrating at the presidential palace.
0:34.5	Until today, the palace was under the control of the rapid support forces, the paramilitary group at war with the country's armed forces.
0:43.8	Celebrations on the part of the state media were brief, though, and interrupted by a deadly drone strike on the complex.
0:50.8	The RSF claims the battle for the palace is not over yet. The army had long been on the back foot in this conflict but had recently taken over control of territory from the RSF, particularly in the centre of Sudan. The RSF has consolidated control in the West, hardening battle lines and moving to Sudan towards what amounts to a partition.
1:13.2	Communication with Sudan has been difficult today, but about two hours ago we got through to
1:18.0	a woman named Safa in Ondurman, very close to the capital, because of the poor quality of
1:23.6	the line. We voiced up her answers.
1:26.6	Actually, this is very good step for the people of Sudan.
1:30.8	Actually, this is a very good step for the people of Sudan.
1:34.3	Because, you know, the Palace of Sudan is a kind of symbol of sovereignty for Sudan's people.
1:40.5	People are very happy because now the Palace is back to Sudan's people. We can say not just for the
1:47.0	army or for the military, it's just for the Sudanese people. Today people are so happy
1:53.9	today people are so happy that the army is controlling the palace but they cannot celebrate
2:00.5	because they fear gathering,
2:02.9	because wherever they're gathering, there is bombing, so people are just celebrating in their
2:07.9	homes. They can't go out because of the shelling.
2:12.1	The other important thing for us, that the palace is now with the Sudanese people. The place where the palace is
2:19.1	located is the heart of Khartoum, which is the capital. That's where most of the ministries are
	...

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