STORY: Sudanese army retakes key city in central Sudan
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 11, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 12, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:05
LOCATION: WAD MADANI/OMDURMAN, Sudan
CATEGORY: MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Sudanese citizens celebrating the army victory in Wad Madani and Omdurman city
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDUL-RAHIM AHMED, Sudanese citizen
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): HAMAD OSMAN, Sudanese citizen
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ISHTIAQ ABDULLAH, Sudanese citizen

STORYLINE:

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Saturday recaptured Wad Madani, capital city of Gezira State in central Sudan, from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the office of the SAF spokesperson said in a statement.

Major Sudanese cities, including Atbara, Port Sudan, Omdurman, and Kosti, witnessed popular demonstrations in celebration of the recapture of Wad Madani.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDUL-RAHIM AHMED, Sudanese citizen
"This is a great achievement by the Sudanese Armed Forces, Joint Forces, and the mobilized citizens. This is a great joy for the Sudanese people."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): HAMAD OSMAN, Sudanese citizen
"Congratulations to the Sudanese people in general and to the army and its commander (Abdel Fattah) Al-Burhan."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ISHTIAQ ABDULLAH, Sudanese citizen
"Victory to the armed forces! All the force is now inside Wad Madani, and God willing, Bahri and Khartoum will be liberated."

Since early January, the SAF had launched a major ground operation to regain control of Wad Madani, some 189 km from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
   
In December 2023, the RSF took control of Gezira State after the SAF withdrew from Wad Madani.
     
Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced nearly 15 million people, according to the latest estimates by international organizations.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Wad Madani and Omdurman, Sudan.
(XHTV)