Khartoum / Omdurman — The commander of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohammed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo, has for the first time admitted that his troops withdrew from Khartoum. In a voice message posted on his Telegram account on Sunday, Hemedti acknowledged the retreat from the capital, calling it a "decision approved by the command and the Department of Operations."

Despite their capitulation in Khartoum, he vowed the RSF would return stronger. "I assure you, we left Khartoum, but God willing, we will return," the RSF commander said.

Adding that, "The war is still in its infancy," he declared, promising to continue battling the Sudanese army and what he termed the "Islamic movement".

Hemedti dismissed speculation that the withdrawal was part of a negotiated deal with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

"Anyone who thinks there is a negotiation or agreement with what I call the satanic movement is wrong," he said. "We have no agreement or discussion with them, only the language of the gun."

The SAF, which announced last week that it had ended the RSF presence in Khartoum, has also denied any deal behind the RSF withdrawal.

In a statement on Thursday, a military spokesperson rejected claims that the RSF's retreat was coordinated with the government, calling it a "shameful escape" and stating that RSF fighters had been left behind on the battlefield.

SAF advances in Omdurman were announced on Saturday, including the recapture of the Libya Market in western Omdurman, a key RSF stronghold since the war began in April 2023. Soldiers reportedly recovered weapons and equipment abandoned by the RSF.

In an address to the Sudanese people on Sunday evening for Eid El Fitr, SAF Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan reaffirmed that "there will be no retreat from the defeat and crushing of the terrorist [RSF] militia."