Sudanese Armed Forces are seen at the presidential palace in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)KHARTOUM, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Sudan has been embroiled in an armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, 2023.In the early months, the RSF seized control of much of Sudan's capital Khartoum and expanded throughout the Darfur region, taking over most central Sudanese cities.However, by early 2024, the tide had turned in favor of the Sudanese army, which began reclaiming key cities and territories. By March 2025, the army had secured most of Khartoum.FIGHT ERUPTS IN KHARTOUMOn the morning of April 15, 2023, intense fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF, triggered by escalating disputes between the two sides over a framework agreement, which stipulated reform of the military institution and the integration of all armed groups, not least including the RSF into the Sudanese army.On the same day, the RSF seized key locations in Khartoum, including the presidential palace and the Khartoum International Airport.On May 19, 2023, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and army chief, issued a decree dismissing his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF commander. He appointed Malik Agar, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, as the new deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council.With the mediation of Saudi Arabia and the United States, the Jeddah Declaration was signed on May 20, 2023, calling for a seven-day ceasefire and improved access for humanitarian aid. However, both parties failed to uphold the terms of the agreement.This photo taken on Jan. 26, 2025 shows the signs of destruction inflicted on the Khartoum Oil Refinery in Al-Jaili area, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)CONFLICT SPREADS BEYOND KHARTOUMOn June 15, 2023, the RSF captured El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, before expanding its control to East Darfur, Central Darfur and West Kordofan.In central Sudan, the RSF took control of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State, on Dec. 19, 2023.On June 30, 2024, they seized Singa, the capital city of Sinnar State, along with several other towns.INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO CONTAIN CONFLICTIn July 2024, indirect talks were held in Geneva under UN auspices to address humanitarian aid and civilian protection. The talks, mediated by UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra, failed to reach an agreement.In August 2024, the United States hosted another round of ceasefire negotiations in Geneva, where the RSF sent a delegation. However, the Sudanese army did not attend, and the talks ended without a ceasefire agreement.On Jan. 7, 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo; and on Jan. 16, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Sudanese army chief Al-Burhan.A Sudanese resident carries plastic water containers in Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)DRAMATIC SHIFTS IN WAR TRAJECTORYSince February 2024, the Sudanese army has adopted a more aggressive approach, successfully taking control of key neighborhoods in central Omdurman, north of Khartoum.On Sept. 26, 2024, the Sudanese army launched a large-scale military operation across Khartoum State, using ground, air and naval forces.On Oct. 6, the army regained control of the strategic Jebel Moya area in Sinnar State, and later captured the cities of Al-Dinder and Al-Suki.On Oct. 20, Abu Aqla Keikel, the RSF commander in Gezira State, defected along with a large group of fighters, joining the Sudanese army.In retaliation, the RSF launched a violent military campaign in eastern Gezira on Oct. 21, killing over 500 people and displacing nearly 1 million others, according to local organizations.On Nov. 23, the Sudanese army regained control of Singa after days of intense fighting.On Dec. 15, the army launched a ground offensive to recapture Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State, and successfully regained control of the city on Jan. 11, 2025.On Jan. 25, 2025, the army recaptured the Al-Jaili oil refinery, the largest in the country, after fierce battles.On March 21, it announced control of the presidential palace and several federal ministries in central Khartoum; and on March 22, it recaptured the headquarters of the Central Bank of Sudan.On March 26, the army announced its capture of the Khartoum International Airport, with army commander Al-Burhan arriving at the airport by helicopter for the first time since the civil war began.At present, the Sudanese army controls most of Khartoum while the RSF maintains presence in parts of western and southern Omdurman.Currently, detailed figures on the casualties of the violence in Sudan are not available. However, latest statistics from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a crisis monitoring group, said that the war has claimed 29,683 lives.The conflict has also displaced over 15 million people, both inside and outside Sudan, according to the International Organization for Migration.As the conflict enters its third year, both the army and the RSF remain determined to continue fighting until "victory" is achieved.On March 29, Sudanese army chief Al-Burhan said peace would be possible if the RSF surrendered, but warned that the army would continue fighting otherwise. On March 30, RSF leader Dagalo vowed to keep fighting, saying the war was far from over and still in its early stages.