At least 56 civilians have been killed and 595 people, including combatants, injured in fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Khartoum.
Al Jazeera’s live television feed showed clouds of smoke rising over Khartoum’s skyline on Sunday. Witnesses told Al Jazeera that fighter jets were visible in the skies over the city, seemingly targeting RSF sites in airstrikes. The Reuters news agency reported that heavy artillery was fired over the capital and surrounding areas and fighters.
What has happened so far?
“We hear shots. We can hear heavy artillery firing,” Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reported from Khartoum after fighting broke out on Saturday. [Presidential] Palace, and there is a fight over state television.”
“Warplanes could be seen in several districts, appearing to be targeting RSF sites with airstrikes,” she said. “We can see plumes of smoke where those strikes were carried out.”
There was fighting in the capital and other parts of the country on Saturday when the army attacked an RSF base in the town of Omdurman, outside Khartoum, witnesses told Reuters.
The sound of heavy fire was heard all over the capital, with fighters from both sides reported using their weapons from armored vehicles and machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks in densely populated areas.
The RSF claimed to have seized the presidential palace, the army chief’s residence, the state television station and airports in Khartoum, the northern city of Merowe, El Fasher and West Darfur state. The military rejected those claims.
The Air Force told people to stay indoors while they conducted a so-called aerial survey of RSF activity, and a public holiday was declared in Khartoum state on Sunday, closing schools, banks and government offices.
Why is there fighting in Sudan?
The fighting follows mounting tensions over the proposed integration of the RSF into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing of an internationally supported agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy.
A coalition of civil groups that signed a draft of that accord in December called on Saturday for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent Sudan from sliding into “total collapse”.
The RSF was founded in 2013 by then-President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019 after months of pro-democracy protests. A civilian-dominated caretaker government was overthrown by the military in 2021 with the cooperation of the RSF.
Tensions between the military and the RSF have since escalated as the two groups battle for legitimacy and control of the country.
In recent months, these tensions have been exacerbated by a deterioration in relations between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese army, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF.
The disagreement stemmed from disagreements over how the RSF should be integrated into the armed forces and which authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudan’s unsigned transitional agreement with political groups.
Where do the fights take place?
Fighting has been reported across Khartoum, with particularly heavy clashes around the presidential palace, state television buildings and Khartoum International Airport.
Fighting has also been reported in Omdurman, northwest of Khartoum, and the town of Bahri, north of the capital.
Gunfire was also heard in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, where there had previously been no reports of fighting.
Three World Food Program employees have been killed in a crossfire at a military base in Kabkabiya in western Sudan.
What has been the international response?
The international community has strongly condemned the violence.
The United States, China, Russia, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union have all called for an end to hostilities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the situation in Sudan was “fragile” but stressed that there was still an opportunity to complete the transition to a civilian-led government.
Fighting between SAF and RSF forces threatens the security of Sudanese civilians and undermines efforts to restore democracy in Sudan. The only way forward is to return to the negotiations.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 16, 2023
The US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that he had sought shelter with his embassy staff.
“Escalating tensions within the military component to direct combat is extremely dangerous,” Godfrey wrote. “I urge senior military leaders to stop the fighting.”
China also expressed concern that the State Department urged both sides to pursue a ceasefire and avoid further escalation.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the outbreak of fighting and called for calm.
“The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate dialogue to resolve the current crisis,” said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for Guterres.