Sudan's army says it seized key buildings in Khartoum after retaking the Republican Palace

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan ’s military on Saturday consolidated its grip on the capital, retaking more key government buildings a day after it gained control of the Republican Palace from a notorious paramilitary group.

Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Sudanese military, said troops expelled the Rapid Support Forces from the headquarters of the National Intelligence Service and Corinthia Hotel in central Khartoum.

The army also retook the headquarters of the Central Bank of Sudan and other government and educational buildings in the area, Abdullah said. Hundreds of RSF fighters were killed while trying to flee the capital city, he said.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF.

The army's gain came as a Sudanese pro-democracy activist group said RSF fighters had killed at least 45 people in a city in the western region of Darfur.

On Friday, the military retook the Republican Palace, the prewar seat of the government, in a major symbolic victory for the Sudanese military in its nearly two years of war against the RSF.

A drone attack on the palace Friday believed to have been launched by the RSF killed two journalists and a driver with Sudanese state television, according to the ministry of information. Lt. Col. Hassan Ibrahim, from the military’s media office, was also killed in the attack, the military said.

Volker Perthes, former UN envoy for Sudan, the latest military advances will force the RSF to withdraw to its stronghold in the western region of Darfur.

“The army has gained an important and significant victory in Khartoum militarily and politically,” Perthes told The Associated Press, adding that the military will soon clear the capital and its surrounding areas from the RSF.

But the advances doesn’t mean the end of the war as the RSF holds territory in the western Darfur region and elsewhere. Perthes argued that the war will likely turn into an insurgency between the Darfur-based RSF and the military-led government in the capital.

“The RSF will be largely restricted to Darfur ... We will return to the early 2000s,” he said, in reference to the conflict between rebel groups and the Khartoum government, then led by former President Omar al-Bashir.

At the start of the war in April 2023, the RSF took over multiple government and military buildings in the capital including the Republican Palace, the headquarters of the state television and the besieged military’s headquarters, known as the General Command. It also occupied people’s houses and turned it into bases for their attacks against troops.

In recent months, the military took the lead in the fighting. It reclaimed much of Khartoum and its sister cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North, along with other cities elsewhere in the country. In late January, troops lifted the RSF siege on the General Command, paving the way to retake the palace less than two months later.

The military is now likely to try to retake the Khartoum International Airport, only some 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) southeast of the palace, which has been held by the RSF since the start of the war. Videos posted on social media Saturday purportedly showed soldiers on a road leading to the airport.

The RSF was accused on Saturday of being responsible for the deaths of at least 45 people in the Darfur city of al-Maliha.

The pro-democracy Resistance Committees, a network of youth groups tracking the war, said the RSF entered the city on Thursday and carried out attacks. The dead included at least a dozen women, according to a partial casualty list published by the group.

Al-Maliha, a strategic desert city in North Darfur near the borders with Chad and Libya, is around 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the city of el-Fasher, which remains held by the Sudanese military despite near-daily strikes by besieging RSF.

The war, which has wrecked the capital and other urban cities, has claimed the lives of more than 28,000 people, forced millions more to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country. Other estimates suggest a far higher death toll.

The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western region of Darfur, according to the United Nations and international rights groups.

A Sudan army soldier holds a national flag to celebrate after the army take over the Republican Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo)

An army soldier walks in front of the damaged Republican Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, after it was taken over by Sudan's army Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo)

Army soldiers walk in front of the damaged Republican Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, after it was taken over by Sudan's army Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo)

An army soldier walks in front of the damaged Republican Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, after it was taken over by Sudan's army Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo)

Sudan army soldiers celebrate after they took over the Republican Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo)

CHICAGO (AP) — It sure looks as if another impressive group of prospects could have a major impact on the majors this year. Baseball’s next big star could be part of this year’s rookie class.

Here is a closer look at some of the majors’ most intriguing rookies this year:

The rich got a little richer when the World Series champions signed Sasaki to a minor league contract in January that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. The 23-year-old right-hander with a fastball that tops 100 mph had a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League. The star-studded Dodgers could employ a six-man rotation during parts of the season to help with Sasaki’s transition to the majors.

Juan Soto's departure in free agency should clear the way for regular playing time for Domínguez with New York. Nicknamed “The Martian,” Domínguez was signed for a $5.1 million bonus as a 16-year-old in 2019. He made his major league debut in 2023, but his development has been hampered by elbow and oblique injuries. He hit .314 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 58 games over three minor league stops last year.

The sweet-swinging Crews was taken by Washington with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 amateur draft, right after his LSU teammate Paul Skenes went No. 1 overall to Pittsburgh. Crews can do it all, batting .270 with 13 homers, 68 RBIs and 25 steals in 100 games in the minors last year. He was brought up by Washington in August and swiped 12 more bags while hitting .218 with three homers in 31 games in his first stint in the majors.

The 22-year-old Jobe steps into Detroit's rotation after tossing four scoreless innings over two relief appearances in his first big league stint in September. He also worked 1 2/3 innings of three-run ball in the playoffs. The right-hander was selected by the Tigers with the third overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Shaw takes over at third base for a Cubs team hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The 23-year-old Shaw was selected by the Cubs with the No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft. He hit .284 with 21 homers, 71 RBIs and 31 steals over two minor league stops last year.

The Red Sox have a solid outfield with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, but the 20-year-old Anthony — one of baseball's top prospects — is pushing for a spot. He finished last season with Triple-A Worcester, batting .344 with three homers and 20 RBIs in 35 games, to go along with a .982 OPS. He could make his big league debut this summer.

Lawlar, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 draft, was hampered by thumb and hamstring injuries last season. But there is still a lot to like about the 22-year-old shortstop. He played in just 23 minor league games last year, but he hit .318 with two homers and 20 RBIs. He is going to begin the season with Triple-A Reno so he can receive regular playing time.

The son of former big league infielder Jack Wilson is a key building block for the A's in the runup to their planned move to Las Vegas. Jacob Wilson made his major league debut in July, and the 22-year-old shortstop hit .250 with three RBIs in 28 games. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 draft also batted .433 (90 for 208) with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 53 games in the minors last year.

Ornelas is coming off an impressive season with Triple-A El Paso, hitting .297 with 23 homers and 89 RBIs in 128 games. The Mexico native was signed by San Diego as part of its 2016 international signing class. He was sent down to minor league camp late in spring training, but he could make his big league debut this summer.

The 35-year-old Sugano agreed to a $13 million, one-year contract with Baltimore in December. He is coming off his third MVP season in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League, going 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA for the Yomiuri Giants. With Corbin Burnes' departure in free agency, the Orioles are hoping Sugano can provide a lift for their rotation.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago Cubs' Matt Shaw scores on a double by Pete Crow-Armstrong during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Chicago Cubs' Matt Shaw rounds third on his way home to score on a Dansby Swanson double in the fifth inning of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki winds up to deliver to the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)