Sudan’s army regains control of state TV building in Khartoum

By Bahram Abdel Moneim

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - The Sudanese army said Monday its forces had regained control of the building of the national radio and television station in the capital Khartoum.

A military statement said transmission will be resumed, without providing any further details.

On Saturday, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said its fighters had seized control of the TV building following clashes with army forces.

In another development, the Sudanese army said former RSF spokesman, Maj. Najm al-Din Ismail, had defected from the paramilitary force and rejoined the army.

A disagreement between the army and RSF regarding military and security reform, which envisages the full participation of the RSF in the army, has turned into a hot conflict in the last few months.

The dispute between the two sides came to the surface last week, when the army said recent movements by the RSF had occurred without coordination and were illegal.

The tension escalated into fighting in the capital Khartoum and its surrounding areas on Saturday, killing at least 97 people and injuring hundreds, according to local medics.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019, was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara