The Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group RSF are fighting in different parts of the city.
of Sudan in the capital, Khartoum, there has been fierce fighting on Saturday. The parties are the country’s armed forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which appears to be attempting a coup. However, the situation is unclear.
A Sudanese army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in a telephone interview with Al Jazeera that the presidential palace, the headquarters of the armed forces and the airport are under the control of the Sudanese armed forces. Al-Burhan has practically led the country since 2019.
According to Reuters, al-Burhani’s comments were heard on Al Jazeera television broadcast on tape, followed by a live telephone interview with the RSF commander. For his part, he said that the presidential palace, the official residence of the commander of the armed forces and the Khartoum international airport are in their possession.
RSF had previously announced that it controls these sites.
At least two civilians have died in grenade attacks on the airport, the British public radio BBC reports. In addition, a third civilian died in the town of El Obeid in central Sudan, according to the Sudanese Doctors’ Committee.
According to the AFP news agency, the Sudanese Air Force said it had struck in Khartoum against the RSF. Eyewitnesses reported heavy firefights in various parts of the capital. Fighting was also reported in other cities.
of Sudan the armed forces and the RSF blame each other for the start of the fighting. According to estimates, the RSF has around 100,000 fighters.
According to the Sudanese Armed Forces, RSF forces attacked army bases in the morning. A little earlier, RSF said that the armed forces would have attacked it first.
According to a BBC freelance journalist, the RSF attacked the airport with a convoy of around 40 vehicles and clashes have been seen near the television station.
“Clashes continue and the armed forces carry out their mission to secure the country,” said armed forces spokesman, Gen. Nabil Abdallah for AFP.
Sudan ruled after the October 2021 coup by a general junta that uses the name Sovereign Council and is headed by Army General al-Burhan. The Deputy Leader of the Sovereign Council is an influential general Mohamed Hamdan Dagalowho in turn leads the RSF forces.
In Sudan, the intention has been to transition to civilian rule, but the power struggle within the General Junta has slowed down the process.
A war of words broke out between the RSF and the armed forces on Thursday, when the armed forces accused the RSF of an illegal troop transfer. Both the leaders of the armed forces and the RSF said they were ready for mediation. The background is a disagreement about how the RSF would be integrated into the armed forces and how the process would be monitored.
In Sudan, fighting between ethnic groups has also increased.
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