Sudan: Fighting breaks out in Khartoum as army and paramilitary forces clash

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Zainab Mohamed Salih and Emmanuel Igonza, BBC News, Khartoum and Nairobi April 15, 2023, 09:33 GMT

Updated 2 minutes ago

Gunfire and explosions have been heard in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, after days of tension between a notorious paramilitary force and the country’s military.

The dispute revolves around a proposed transition to civilian rule.

Reuters reported that gunfire was heard near the army headquarters in the city centre.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said they had taken control of the airport.

It had said earlier that one of its camps in southern Khartoum had been attacked.

For its part, the army said that the RSF fighters are trying to seize the military headquarters.

“Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces attacked several army camps in Khartoum and other places across Sudan,” army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah was quoted by the French news agency AFP.

“The clashes are continuing and the army is doing its duty to protect the country,” he added.

Reuters also quoted eyewitnesses as saying that gunfire took place in the northern city of Meroe.

Al-Arabiya broadcasts pictures of smoke rising from an army camp there, according to Reuters.

The generals have run the country, through the so-called sovereign council, since the October 2021 coup.

The Rapid Support Forces are commanded by the deputy head of the council, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Meanwhile, the army is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council.

The proposed move to form a civilian-led government bogged down in the timetable for integrating the RSF into the national army.

The RSF wanted to delay it by 10 years, but the military said it should happen within two years.

On Thursday, the Rapid Support Forces deployed forces near the military base in Marawi, as tensions escalated this week.

Gen. Burhan said he was ready to talk to his second-in-command to resolve the dispute over who would lead a unified army in a proposed civilian government.

Western powers and regional leaders urged both sides to de-escalate tensions and return to talks aimed at restoring civilian rule.

There were indications on Friday that the situation would resolve.

The 2021 coup ended a period of more than two years when military and civilian leaders shared power. That deal came after the overthrow of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

There have been regular pro-democracy protests in Khartoum since the coup.

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