Civil Unrest In Sudan As Army And Paramilitary Clash

Heavy gunfire was heard in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, on Saturday as clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and its paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF said it had taken control of the presidential palace, the residence of the army chief and Khartoum international airport.

The conflict follows days of tension between the army and the powerful RSF, which raised concerns about a confrontation.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said on Saturday the situation in Sudan was “fragile” but insisted there was still an opportunity to complete the transition to a civilian-led government.

Speaking from Hanoi, Blinken said the situation was “fragile” as some actors “may be pushing against that progress”.

A Reuters witness said they saw armoured vehicles deployed in streets, and heard the sound of heavy weaponry in the vicinity of the headquarters of the army and the RSF.

The source of the gunfire could not be immediately confirmed by Reuters. People could be seen running in panic through the capital.

The rift between the forces came to the surface on Thursday, when the army said recent movements by the RSF had been made without coordination and were illegal.

A statement by the RSF on Saturday called the army’s actions a “brute assault” and called for it to be condemned. It said the RSF had been in contact with local and international mediators to inform them.

A confrontation between the two forces could bring prolonged strife across a vast country already dealing with economic breakdown and flare-ups of tribal violence.

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