Ramadan War… Resilience and the Valor of Knights
22 March, 2026
At sunrise on Sunday, the 26th of the holy month of Ramadan, the war in Sudan enters its fourth year according to the Hijri calendar. With it, memories of the first days resurface—when a month of worship and tranquility was transformed into a fierce battleground between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia.
In those very days three years ago, the capital, Khartoum, witnessed one of the most dangerous moments in modern Sudanese history. Clashes erupted within the perimeter of the General Command of the Armed Forces In direct, zero-distance combat, after the militia attempted a rapid operation aimed at arresting or assassinating the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan—paving the way for a seizure of power.
The Epic of the Thirty-Six
In the early hours of that decisive day, members of the Commander-in-Chief’s personal guard recorded one of the rarest examples of military bravery. Thirty-six officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers engaged militia forces after the latter breached the wall of the Commander’s residence within the General Command in an attempt to storm it.
They chose to turn their bodies into a shield for the homeland (nation), engaging in an unequal battle at point-blank range. They sacrificed their lives to protect the Commander-in-Chief and prevent the collapse of the military command structure in the war’s opening hours.
Had the militia succeeded in arresting or assassinating the Commander-in-Chief on the first day, the entire scene might have unfolded differently. The plan relied on creating a leadership vacuum and announcing control of the state through a political and military statement broadcast from within Khartoum—a scenario the militia and its allies were counting on to trigger a rapid Institutional collapse.
The Collapse of the Blitz Plan
The steadfastness of the Armed Forces within the General Command proved to be the rock upon which the militia’s plan shattered. The heroes thwarted the anticipated “lightning strike” that was meant to secure power within hours.
The army held its ground, and the carefully prepared scenario for seizing control collapsed. Observers note that the failure of this plan caused significant disarray within the militia’s leadership—evident in the tense and disjointed media appearances of its commander shortly afterward.
This plan was not isolated; it was tied to regional and international actors betting on a swift shift in Sudan’s balance of power. Yet, the army’s resilience in those critical first hours disrupted those calculations entirely.
When the Sky Spoke
Amid these critical moments, the Sudanese Air Force entered the battlefield in a rare act of heroism, led by Major General Pilot Talal Ali Al-Rih Al-Sanhouri.
At a time when flying was nearly suicidal due to intense ground fire and militia presence across the Capital, Al-Sanhouri did not wait for orders. He assessed the situation independently and chose to take off in a nearly disabled fighter jet from Wadi Sayyidna Air Base, accompanied by Captain Pilot Mohamed Haroun.
They executed dozens of sorties over a sky saturated with anti-aircraft fire—without cover or direct command guidance. One strike targeted the main command tower of the Rapid Support Forces, causing significant disruption to their operations and communications.
These aerial missions restored both psychological and tactical balance to the Armed Forces. They signaled that the army still held the initiative and demonstrated that leadership in (war) is not confined to command rooms—it lies in decisive action when decisions are absent.
On that day, Talal fought not just as a pilot, but as a defender of the state Itself—at a moment when the enemy believed Sudan had already fallen. His courage altered the course of the battle, after which the militia shifted toward targeting civilians and infrastructure following its battlefield setbacks.
The Convergence of Forces
As the war expanded and intensified, the Armed Forces adhered to a strategy of economy of force—“digging with a needle”—until they achieved a key objective: strategic link-ups between their units.
Forces from Wadi Sayyidna successfully linked with Engineering Corps units, leading to the liberation of the national radio and television buildings and surrounding strategic sites—paving the way for the full liberation of Omdurman.
In a later development, forces in Omdurman linked with units in Khartoum and Khartoum North in an operation known as the “Great Crossing,” which contributed to liberating large areas in northern Khartoum North and breaking the siege of the General Command.
These link-up operations continued until Armored Corps units connected with forces inside the General Command, marking the beginning of the phase to fully liberate the capital from militia control.
The Last Lines of Resistance
Over nearly two years of fighting, the Sudanese Armed Forces recorded one of the longest episodes of military endurance in their modern history—particularly in strategic locations such as the Armored Corps, the General Command, and the Engineering Corps in Khartoum.
Other remarkable examples of resilience emerged across operational theaters including the steadfastness of the 22nd Infantry Division in Babanusa and the 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher. Soldiers endured prolonged sieges and fierce combat.
The war claimed the lives of many martyrs across all ranks, including senior commanders who fought on the front lines. Among them were Major General Yasser Fadlallah (Commander of the 16th Infantry Division in Nyala), Major General Ayoub Abdel Qader (Commander of the 17th Infantry Division in Singa), who fell within the Armored Corps, and Major General Muawiya Hamad Abdullah (Commander of the 22nd Infantry Division in Babanusa), alongside Major General Abdel Majid Ahmed Al-Haj.
Military experts view the loss of high-ranking field commanders as a reflection of the nature of the conflict—where leadership was exercised directly from the front lines, significantly boosting troop morale.
A Case That Drew Global Attention
As the war continued with increasing complexity, the experience of the Sudanese Armed Forces became a subject of interest in military research centers worldwide.
Experts believe the army faced one of the most complex forms of urban warfare—fighting within densely populated cities against unconventional armed groups relying on speed and fluid movement.
Observers also argue that accusations directed at the Armed Forces in some international forums were part of political and media efforts aimed at neutralizing or discrediting the military—potentially facilitating broader regional and international agendas to reshape Sudan’s political landscape.
A Defining Conclusion
Three years into the war—and now entering its fourth year by the HIjri calendar—the picture has become clearer.
The early hours of the conflict proved that the resilience of a small group of soldiers can alter the course of history. The initiative of a single pilot demonstrated how a courageous decision can shift the balance of an entire battle.
Between the sacrifices of the personal guard, the daring air missions, the strategic link-ups of forces, and the steadfast defense of military positions, one of the most profound chapters of sacrifice in modern Sudanese history has been written.
It is a war that revealed the true cost of (the state) when it is threatened—and the meaning of soldiers who fight for their (homeland)… to their very last breath.
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