Heavy fighting between the army and paramilitaries has broken out in Khartoum, with the militia claiming it has seized the airport and presidential palace.
Sunday 16 April 2023 04:28, UK
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At least 56 people have been killed and 595 injured following ongoing clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces.
The country’s doctors trade union said the deaths came during sustained fighting on Saturday, with UK and US embassies in the city both urging their citizens to stay indoors.
They were unable to say how many of the casualties were civilians, but had earlier indicated at least three of the dead were not combatants.
Two people were killed at Khartoum airport, four in neighbouring Omdurman, eight in the city of Nyala, six in the city of El Obeid and five in El Fasher, the source added.
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Clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) raged around the presidential palace and Khartoum International Airport as both sides fought for control of symbolic sites.
The two parties forged a partnership following the ousting of former leader Omar al Bashir in 2019, but army boss General Abdel Fattah al Burhan has been the country’s de facto president since a military coup in October 2021.
On Saturday, Sudan’s armed forces dismissed any possibility of negotiations between the two sides, writing on its Facebook page that there will be “no negotiations or dialogue until the dissolution of the paramilitary RSF”.
A new deal signed late last year was supposed to pave the way to democratic elections, but Saturday’s violence erupted following weeks of escalating tensions.
Why has violence erupted in Sudan?
RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, has labelled General al Burhan a “criminal” and accused his troops of carrying out a coup.
Fighter jets have been seen over the city and two major airlines, the state-owned Saudi carrier Saudia and Egypt’s Egyptair, have suspended flights in and out until further notice.
A Saudia plane preparing to take off from Khartoum airport came under fire during clashes, the carrier said. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac.
Residents are camped in their homes as black smoke from heavy gunfire covers areas of the capital, with injured civilians having started pouring into hospitals.
Read more:
Why tensions in Sudan could escalate into ‘all-out civil war’
People described chaotic scenes in Khartoum and its sister city of Omdurman as gunfire rang out in densely populated neighbourhoods.
“Fire and explosions are everywhere,” said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. “All are running and seeking shelter.”
“Khartoum has become a battlefield,” said Tahani Abass, a prominent Sudanese rights advocate who lives close to the military’s headquarters.
“The situation is very dire, and we don’t know when it will be ended.”
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Where is the fighting happening?
The fighting began at a military base south of Khartoum, with both sides accusing the other of initiating attacks.
Clashes then spread across the capital, including around the military’s headquarters, the airport and the presidential palace.
Witnesses reported gunfire in many parts of the country outside the capital, including heavy exchanges of gunfire in the northern city of Merowe and clashes in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala.
The RSF claimed it had seized Khartoum airport and the presidential palace as well as an airport and air base in Merowe.
The Sudanese army has dismissed the claims as lies and maintains that it still controls all bases and airports.
The RSF added on Twitter that armed forces troops had besieged its headquarters in the southern area of Soba and “launched a sweeping attack with heavy and light weapons”.
Britons in Sudan urged to ‘remain indoors’
US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, said he and his embassy staff were sheltering in place as heavy firing was heard in a number of areas.
The British embassy has also warned UK nationals to “remain indoors” as it monitors the situation.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called for an immediate stop to the violence.
He wrote on Twitter: “The UK calls on the Sudanese leadership to do all they can to restrain their troops and de-escalate to prevent further bloodshed.
“Military action will not resolve this situation.”
US secretary of state Antony Blinken described the situation as “fragile”, while EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell called on all forces to stop the violence.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined calls for forces to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue.
Chad’s government closed its border with Sudan on Saturday and called for calm.
Its 872-mile border with Sudan will remain closed until further notice, it said.
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‘All-out civil war’
Yassir Abdullah, managing editor of the Al-Sudani newspaper, warned the country was heading for “all-out civil war”.
“This is deeply serious,” he said.
“If there is no intervention from Armed Forces leadership to stop the fighting, we are headed to an all-out civil war.
“This is a threat to the stability of the country as a whole. There are no winners here.”
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Isma’il Kushkush, an independent journalist in Khartoum, told Sky News the conflict was a “worst case scenario” – particularly if, as many fear, it signalled the start of a civil war.
He said most people had heeded the warnings to stay inside as the sound of heavy gunfire dominated the city.
“There’s no one on the streets,” he said.
