April 15, 2023 – Present · Khartoum Theater

Fighting erupted simultaneously across Khartoum on April 15, 2023, as RSF fighters — pre-positioned inside SAF bases and civilian neighborhoods — clashed with army units. The RSF seized control of the presidential palace, the state broadcaster, and major roads within hours. The SAF responded with airstrikes on RSF positions in residential areas of the capital. Khartoum International Airport became a contested battleground. Within weeks, the city of 6 million — once a functioning metropolitan center with cafes, universities, and a thriving civil society — was transformed into a combat zone.

April 2023 – 2024 · Khartoum (Omdurman) Theater

Omdurman — the historic twin city to Khartoum, site of Kitchener's decisive 1898 battle — became one of the primary RSF strongholds. RSF fighters moved through civilian neighborhoods, establishing firing positions in homes and mosques. SAF airstrikes hit RSF positions but caused widespread civilian casualties. The RSF's control of Omdurman's commercial and residential heart gave them a chokehold on supply routes into Khartoum. Over 500,000 people fled Omdurman's metropolitan area in the first three months.

April – December 2023 · Darfur Theater

Simultaneous with the Khartoum fighting, RSF forces and Arab tribal militias swept across Darfur, overrunning SAF garrisons and attacking non-Arab African communities — the Masalit, Fur, and Zaghawa peoples targeted in the 2003–08 Darfur genocide. In El Geneina, capital of West Darfur and home to 500,000 people, the RSF and allied militias conducted systematic massacres, mass rape, and ethnic cleansing. Governor Khamis Abbakar was captured on video and then executed. Over a million people were displaced from Darfur's five states.

September 2024 – Present · North Khartoum / Nile Corridor Theater

With Egyptian military support, Iranian-supplied drones, and resupplied artillery, the SAF launched a significant counteroffensive in late 2024 to recapture northern Khartoum and reopen the Nile corridor. The offensive made gains in Khartoum North and Bahri district, pushing RSF forces back several kilometers in some sectors. Bridges over the Nile became key objectives. The SAF made effective use of Iranian Shahed-136 drones — the same technology Russia was using against Ukraine — for precision strikes against RSF positions.