Brits in Sudan told to stay indoors after explosions rock capital
Britons in Sudan have been urged to remain indoors as the country has woken up to fierce clashes between the military and the country’s powerful paramilitary.
A statement read: "We are closely monitoring the situation in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan where there are ongoing military clashes."
In Khartoum, the sound of heavy firing could be heard in a number of areas, including the city centre and the neighbourhood of Bahri, as clashes erupted early today between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The United States Ambassador to Sudan said he was sheltering with his team amid “deeply disturbing” sounds of gunfire.
He said: “Escalation of tensions within the military component is extremely dangerous. I urgently call on military leaders to stop the fighting.”
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People walk past a military vehicle in Khartoum on April 15, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)By lunchtime, the RSF militia claimed they had seized the capital city's airport and “completely controlled” Khartoum’s Republican Palace.
The group also said it seized an airport and airbase in the northern city of Marawi, some 215 miles northwest of Khartoum.
Commercial aircraft trying to land at Khartoum International Airport began turning around to head back to their originating airport. Flights from Saudi Arabia turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday.
A military official told the AP that fighter jets took off from a military base north of Omdurman and attacked the RSF’s positions in and around Khartoum. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
Smokes rise after clashes erupted in the Sudanese capital (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Low-flying jets were captured on film flying from Sudan Air Force over Khartoum, as the city seemingly turned into a battleground.
The clashes came as tensions have arisen following a delay in the signing of an internationally backed deal with political parties to revive the country’s democratic transition.
Tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process.
The RSF is under the command of the council's vice-president Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The army, meanwhile, is led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of the Sovereign Council.
Dagalo said earlier today that "Burhan will be captured or he will die like a dog."
According to a statement issued by the Sudan Doctors Committee — a part of the country’s pro-democracy movement — clashes have led to ”varying injuries.” The casualty toll from the fighting remained unclear.
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A United Nations official said clashes were occurring “literally everywhere,” in Khartoum, including near the sprawling American Embassy in the southeastern corner of the capital.
The military seized power in a coup 18 months ago and had agreed to hand over power this month to a civilian-led government. The 2021 coup ended a period of more than two years when military and civilian leaders were sharing power.
However, the process has been overshadowed by the open rivalry between General al-Burhan and General Hamdan.
But army-RSF rivalry dates back to the rule of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019. Under the former president, the paramilitary force grew out of former militias that carried out a brutal crackdown.
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