Gunfire could be heard in several parts of Khartoum, and eyewitnesses said gunfire was also heard in neighboring towns.
A Reuters journalist saw cannons and armored vehicles on the streets and heard the sound of heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the name of the country’s paramilitary group.
The dispute centers around a proposed transition to a civilian regime.
For its part, the army said that RSF fighters were trying to seize the army headquarters.
“Fighters from the Rapid Support Force attacked several army camps in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan,” AFP news agency quoted army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah as saying. “Clashes are ongoing and the army is doing its duty to protect the country.”
The US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, said he and his team had taken cover amid “deeply disturbing” gunfire. Al Jazeera.
“The escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous. I urgently appeal to senior military leaders to stop the fighting,” he tweeted.
And the Russians have issued an official position on the conflict. “The Russian Embassy expresses its concern about the escalation of violence in Sudan and calls on the parties involved for a quick ceasefire and negotiations. Diplomats also ask Russians in Sudan to stay at home and keep calm,” said a statement broadcast by Ria Novosti.
What is the situation in Sudan?
In Sudan, generals rule the country through what is called the Sovereign Council. The military has held power since a coup in October 2021.
The RSF paramilitary group is under the command of the vice president of the council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The army, meanwhile, is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of the Sovereign Council.
A proposal to switch to a civilian-led government failed without the army and the RSF being able to come to an agreement. The condition was the integration of the RSF into the army and the creation of a joint army to operate under a civilian government, but the paramilitary group wanted to delay this by 10 years, but the army claimed that the transition had to happen within two years.
On Thursday, the RSF pulled out its men near the military base in Merowe as tensions rose this week.
General Burhan said he was willing to talk to his second-in-command to resolve the dispute over who would lead the unified army under a proposed civilian government.
Western powers and regional leaders have urged the two sides to de-escalate tensions and return to talks aimed at restoring civilian rule.
On Friday, there were signs that the situation had been resolved, but today the situation has degenerated.
<
p class=”mb-8 px-6 md:px-0 font-bitter text-s17-l170 md:text-s18-l170 text-c121212″>AGORA states that the 2021 coup ended a period of more than two years in which military and civilian leaders shared power. That deal came after Sudan’s long-term authoritarian president, Omar al-Bashir, was toppled. After the coup, pro-democracy protests regularly took place in Khartoum.
