Sudanese army regains control of another town in Al Jazirah state

The Sudanese army has announced that it had regained control of the town of Tambul, marking the second area of eastern Al Jazirah state to be reclaimed in the last 48 hours.

"Our armed forces, supported by allied forces and popular resistance (volunteers), have taken full control of the town of Tambul," the army said in a statement late Sunday.

It added that its forces had "cleansed the town of the rebel militia after inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment," referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Tambul is the second area to be reclaimed within 48 hours, following the recapture of the state capital, Wad Madani.

On Saturday, the army announced that it had entered Wad Madani, nearly a year after losing it to the RSF.

The RSF, however, still controls large parts of Al Jazirah except for Wad Madani, Tambul and the city of Al-Manaqil and its surrounding regions, extending south to Sennar state’s border and westward to White Nile state’s boundary.

Clashes between the RSF and the army reignited in Al Jazirah on October 20, 2024 after prominent RSF commander Abu Aqla Kikal originally from the state defected and declared his allegiance to the army.

In December 2023, the RSF, under Kikal’s leadership, seized control of several parts of Al Jazirah, including Wad Madani.

The conflict between the army and RSF, which has been ongoing since mid-April 2023, has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced 14 million people, according to the UN and local authorities.

Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.​​​​​​