CELEBRATIONS AS SUDAN’S ARMY RETAKES KEY CITY

People in Sudan are celebrating after the country’s armed forces recaptured the strategically important city of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazira State.

It’s created hopes that the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary is on the back foot, and that the proxy war, which has been raging since 15 April 2023, can be brought to an end.

Locals welcomed the return of the army, pouring into the streets with cheers and applause, chanting revolutionary slogans and singing songs.

Wad Madani is important because it serves as a gateway to the rest of Sudan, with key road and rail links converging in the city. It’s also a major agricultural and trade hub. The RSF had held it since December 2023

The historic city is fondly remembered as the place where Sudanese revolutionary Ali Abdelatif refused to salute a British officer in 1922, resulting in his imprisonment and culminating in the White Flag Revolt against the British in 1924.

Sources:

https://www.moore.army.mil/Infantry/Magazine/issues/2004/jul-aug/pdfs/jul-aug2004.pdf

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/12/could-the-sudanese-armys-capture-of-wad-madani-be-a-turning-point-of-war

https://publications.iwmi.org/pdf/H021882.pdf