The 2024–2025 Bahri offensive was a military campaign conducted by the

Sudanese Armed Forces The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and ...

(SAF) beginning in September 2024 to recapture strategic areas of

Bahri Bahri () is a masculine Arabic given name. Given name People with given name are include: * Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin (1957–2007), Turkish artist * Bahri Tanrıkulu (born 1980), Turkish taekwondo athlete *Bahri Fazliu, Kosovo Albanian poet, publi ...

(also known as Khartoum North) from the

Rapid Support Forces The Rapid Support Forces (RSF; ) is a paramilitary force formerly operated by the government of Sudan. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which previously fought on behalf of the Sudanese government. RSF ...

(RSF) during the ongoing

Sudanese civil war The term Sudanese Civil War refers to at least three separate conflicts in Sudan in Northeast Africa: *First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) *Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005) *Sudanese civil war (2023–present) It could also refer to other ...

. The offensive operated in conjunction with the

Battle of Khartoum Battle of Khartoum may refer to: * Siege of Khartoum The siege of Khartoum (also known as the battle of Khartoum or fall of Khartoum) took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885. Mahdist State, Sudanese Mahdist forces captured the city of ...

Background

Prior to the offensive, the

(RSF) maintained control over significant portions of Khartoum's metropolitan area, including large sections of Khartoum Bahri. The

(SAF) had initiated a series of military operations in the region beginning in December 2023, starting with an offensive in central

Omdurman Omdurman () is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The city acts ...

. By September 2024, SAF forces had established a presence in northwestern

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

Offensive

In late September 2024, the SAF initiated major ground offensives on three fronts. The operations targeted areas in Khartoum and Bahri (also known as Khartoum North) that had been held under RSF control since the war's outbreak in April 2023. Operations in Bahri began with SAF forces entering via the Halfaya Bridge on September 26. The army successfully gained control of several residential areas, including Azergab, Halfaya, Kadaro, and Doroshab, and was able to deliver supplies to the previously besieged Hattab military base. On 18 January 2025, the SAF reached the Al-Shukri junction in Shambat, while the RSF retreated by one kilometer southwards to the Hassan Ibrahim Malik University City. On 20 January 2025, SAF units besieged at the Signal Corps garrison in Bahri launched their first major offensive since September 2024, forcing the RSF to withdraw east towards the Kafouri neighborhood. The SAF also retook Abboud Park in Bahri, the Juwayriyah School, and the African Council Schools in Al Safiya district. SAF forces launched a coordinated advance into eastern Bahri in late January 2025, specifically targeting the Teiba El Ahameda neighborhood. Concurrent operations by SAF forces reportedly secured several strategic locations in southern Bahri, including the El Danagla and El Amlak neighborhoods, as well as the El Diyar El Gatariya Company area. The SAF also captured the north entrance of the Mek Nimir bridge, a vital crossing point connecting Khartoum North with Khartoum proper. The SAF also successfully broke the RSF siege of the SAF Signal Corps and established a connection between their bases in northern and southern Khartoum Bahri. Additionally, SAF forces regained control of the strategically important Al Jaili refinery north of Khartoum. The refinery had caught fire on 23 January, with both sides accusing each other of starting it. Simultaneous operations targeted the suburbs of Dardoq and Nabta in the eastern sector of the city. Several facilities in Bahri were damaged during the offensive, including the Khartoum Bahri water station, the state's largest with a capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per hour, the police headquarters complex, and the Khartoum Bahri Teaching Hospital, the state's third-largest medical facility. The al-Baraha Hospital was destroyed by fire. On 31 January 2025, Basha Tabig, the advisor to the RSF Commander, claimed that the RSF had accomplished “a crushing victory” against the offensive by repelling an advance on El Izba, forcing the SAF to withdraw to the Samarab area. On the same day, RSF Commander

Hemedti Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (born 1974 or 1975), commonly known by the mononym Hemedti, is a Sudanese military officer and the current head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, he was th ...

released a video statement admitting to facing setbacks in the region and Khartoum, but vowed to retake lost ground.

Casualties

On 30 January 2025, the

United Nations Human Rights Office The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univers ...

verified seven separate incidents resulting in at least eighteen civilian deaths, including one woman. The killings were attributed to SAF-associated fighters and allied militia groups, particularly in the vicinity of the Al Jaili oil refinery. Many victims were identified as being originally from Sudan's

Darfur Darfur ( ; ) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju () while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë , and it was renamed Dartunjur () when the Tunjur ruled the area. ...

and

Kordofan Kordofan ( ') is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kordofan, South Kordofan and West Kordofan. In August 2005, West Kordofan State was abolished and its territory divided between N ...

regions. Video footage showed individuals in SAF uniforms and members of the Al-Bara' ibn Malik Battalion publicly reading a list of alleged RSF collaborators, announcing "Zaili" (Arabic for "killed") after each name. Additional video evidence documented members of the Al-Bara' ibn Malik Battalion making explicit threats of violence against El Hadj Yusif residents in the East Nile area.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univer ...

Volker Türk Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. Career Early years In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and ha ...

issued a statement the following day expressing deep alarm over the executions, characterizing them as potential war crimes while demanding further investigation into each report and the immediate cessation of attacks on civilians.

Analysis

The Sudan War Monitor described the offensive as a "turning point" in the civil war due to its advancements eliminating threats to the SAF headquarters while positioning the army for further operations to recapture the capital.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2024-2025 Bahri offensive Battle of Khartoum 2024 in Sudan 2025 in Sudan Attacks on hospitals during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) Wartime hospital bombings in Africa 2025 building bombings Battles in 2024 Battles in 2025