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Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Saturday they had taken control of the presidential palace, the army chief’s residence and Khartoum International Airport as they clashed with the army in an escalating power struggle amid talks over integration into the military below. transition plan that will lead to new elections.
The RSF, which accused the army of attacking them first, also said it had seized airports in the northern town of Merowe and in El-Obeid in the west.
The clashes come as tensions between the military and the RSF have escalated in recent months, forcing the postponement of the signing of an internationally-backed deal with political parties to revive the country’s democratic transition.
Sudan’s army said fighting broke out after RSF forces tried to attack its forces south of the capital. Later, the military declared the RSF a “rebel force,” describing the paramilitary’s statement as a “lie.”
Sudan’s air force is conducting operations against the RSF, the army said. Footage from broadcasters showed military aircraft in the skies above Khartoum, but Reuters could not independently confirm the footage.
‘fragile’ condition
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that the situation in Sudan was “fragile” but insisted there were still opportunities to complete the transition to a civilian-led government. Speaking from Hanoi, Blinken said that some actors “might push the progress.”
Egypt and Saudi Arabia both issued statements on Saturday expressing deep concern about the ongoing clashes.
A commercial plane trying to land at Khartoum International Airport has started turning back to its home airport.
A flight from Saudi Arabia returned after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday.
Footage from broadcasters showed military aircraft in the sky above the capital, Khartoum, but Reuters could not independently confirm the footage.
Gunshots could be heard in some parts of Khartoum, and witnesses reported shootings in neighboring towns.
US Ambassador in shelter
The US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, wrote online that he was “now hiding in a place with the Embassy team, as the Sudanese do in Khartoum and elsewhere.”
I just arrived last night in Khartoum and woke up to the deep noise of gunfire and fighting. I am currently sheltering in place with the Embassy team, as Sudan in Khartoum and others. (1/2)
Reuters reporters saw cannons and armored vehicles lined the streets, and heard heavy gunfire near army and RSF headquarters.
A prolonged confrontation between the RSF and the army could lead to a prolonged dispute in a country already suffering from economic crisis and tribal violence.
Earlier, the RSF, led by former militia leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, said the army had surrounded one of its bases and opened fire with heavy weapons.
The violence follows tensions between the army and the RSF, a powerful paramilitary group. This has raised concerns about a confrontation that could undermine long-standing efforts to return Sudan to civilian rule after a power struggle and military coup.
Hemedti has placed himself at the forefront of the planned transition to democracy, troubling the military authorities and triggering the mobilization of troops in the capital.
The long tension
The split between the forces emerged on Thursday, when the army said that recent movements, particularly in Merowe, by the RSF had been uncoordinated and illegal.
The RSF said in a statement that the actions of the armed forces chief and “some officers” were an attack on its forces and intended to create instability.
On Saturday there was an exchange of heavy gunfire in Merowe, witnesses told Reuters.
An RSF statement on Saturday called the army’s actions a “brutal attack” that should be condemned. He said RSF had informed local and international mediators about the developments.
The RSF, which along with the army overthrew longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019, has begun deploying units again in Khartoum and elsewhere amid talks last month about integration into the military under a transition plan that will lead to new elections.
Hemedti, a feared former militia commander in Darfur, has been deputy leader of the Governing Council led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since 2019.
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