Explosions rocked the Sudanese capital Saturday after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has told media that the RSF attacked his residence at the army headquarters around 9am local time.
Here are the latest developments about Sudan's unrest on Saturday:
Number of casualties still unknown:
In the clashes which started in Sudan on Saturday morning, so far, at least 9 people have been killed and several others have been injured, media have reported
This is while the death toll and the number of casualties has remained unknown due to the rapidity of the events in the impoverished country. Meanwhile, fierce fighting is reported to be continuing between the two sides.
According to Guardian Newspaper report, at least five people were reported to have been killed in Khartoum, the capital of the vast and strategic east African country, on Saturday and more in northern Darfur state during heavy fighting between Sudan armed forces, the regular military, and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Force (RSF), according to Sudan Doctor’s Committee, a local NGO. The death toll is expected to rise.
Iran voices concern over unrest in Sudan, urges for dialogue:
The spokesman of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed his concern about the recent unrest in Sudan and urged the Sudanese to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue.
African Union calls for urgent ceasefire:
The African Union has called for an “urgent” ceasefire in a news statement.
Egypt coordinating with Sudanese authorities on safety of Egyptian forces:
Egypt’s military is closely following the situation in Sudan and is coordinating with the relevant Sudanese authorities to guarantee the safety of Egyptian forces, according to army spokesman Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez, Aljazeera reported.
His statement came as Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shared a video that they said showed Egyptian troops who had “surrendered” to them in Merowe, northern Sudan.
Army in control of presidential palace, military HQ and airport: Army chief
The army rejected assertions by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that they had seized the presidential palace, the army chief's residence and airports in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe.
According to Reuters, army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan told Al Jazeera TV, "We think if they are wise they will turn back their troops that came into Khartoum. But if it continues we will have to deploy troops into Khartoum from other areas."
Chad closes border with Sudan, calls for calm
Chad’s government has closed its border with Sudan and has called for calm.
“Chad appeals to the regional and international community as well as to all friendly countries to prioritise a return to peace,” it said in a statement.
Its 1,403km (872-mile) border with Sudan will remain closed until further notice, it said.
Saudi Arabia:
The Saudi government said it was “deeply concerned” over the escalation and heavy fighting in Sudan. It called on the warring factions to “choose dialogue over conflict,” Aljazeera reported.
United Kingdom:
Britain’s embassy in Sudan urged its nationals there to remain indoors.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan where there are ongoing military clashes,” the embassy said on Twitter. “We advise all British Nationals in Sudan to remain indoors and follow our travel advice for more updates.”
UAE calls on all parties in Sudan to exercise restraint:
The United Arab Emirates has called all parties in Sudan to exercise restraint, deescalate and work towards ending the crisis through dialogue, according to the state news agency.
The agency said that the UAE Embassy in Khartoum was following “with great concern the developments in Sudan and has reaffirmed the UAE’s position on the importance of de-escalation, and working towards finding a peaceful solution to the crisis between the concerned parties”.
Two army tanks detonated by RSF forces:
Media reported that after the coup attempt, the army deployed several tanks in the streets of Khartoum while the reports said the RSF forces blew up two tanks.
The reports said that the RSF blew up two tanks of the Sudanese army around the Sudan TV station in Khartoum.
RSF reports of capturing some Egyptian soldiers:
The RSF has shared a video that it says shows Egyptian troops who had “surrendered” to them in Merowe, northern Sudan.
There was no clear explanation for the presence of Egyptian troops in Merowe, but Egyptian and Sudanese troops have periodically staged joint military exercises in the north of the country in the wake of diplomatic tensions with Ethiopia.
The video showed a number of men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to members of the RSF in an Egyptian Arabic dialect to troops in RSF uniforms.
Reuters could not immediately verify the footage and Egyptian authorities did not immediately make any public comment on the matter.
EU's Borrell calls on all forces in Sudan to stop violence:
European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell on Saturday called on all forces involved to stop the violence in Sudan immediately.
He also said in a tweet that all EU staff in the country were safe and accounted for.
"An escalation will only aggravate the situation. Protection of citizens is a priority," he added.
The Sudanese airforce was reportedly bombarding the bases belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in several parts of the capital Khartoum and the other parts of the country.
Explosions rocked the Sudanese capital Saturday after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Army denies RSF captured Merowe airport:
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which accused the army of attacking them first, also said they had taken over the airports in the northern city of Merowe and in El-Obeid in the west.
The army said it was fighting the RSF at sites the paramilitaries said they had taken. The army also said it had taken some RSF bases and denied that the RSF had taken Merowe airport, Reuters reported.
Egypt calls for maximum restraint in Sudan:
Egypt has called on all Sudanese parties to exercise maximum restraint amid clashes between the army and the RSF, Aljazeera reported.
A Foreign Ministry statement said Egypt is following the developments of the situation in Sudan with great concern.
It called on all parties in Sudan to exercise maximum restraint in order to “protect the lives and capabilities of the brotherly Sudanese people, and uphold the supreme interests of the homeland.”
RSF say they have seized presidential palace in apparent coup bid
Sudan's main paramilitary group said it had seized the presidential palace, the army chief's residence and Khartoum international airport on Saturday in an apparent coup attempt but the military said it was fighting back.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which accused the army of attacking them first, also said they had taken over the airports in the northern city of Merowe and in El-Obeid in the west.
Fighting in Sudan must end ‘immediately’: US
Violent clashes in Sudan between the army and paramilitary groups must end “immediately,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
The top US diplomat said he is “deeply concerned” about the reports of fighting. He said US embassy staff in the capital Khartoum are all “currently accounted for”.
“We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilisations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues,” he tweeted from Hanoi, Vietnam, where he is passing through on his way to a Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in Japan.
Russia calls for quick ceasefire in Sudan:
Russia says it is deeply concerned by escalating violence in Sudan and called for an urgent ceasefire.
“We urge the parties to the conflict to demonstrate political will and restraint and to take immediate steps towards a ceasefire,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement calling for negotiations.
Russia said its embassy in the capital Khartoum was continuing to function, under heightened security measures. No Russian citizens were hurt during clashes in the African country, it said.
The spokesman for the Sudanese armed forces has said in an interview on the Al Jazeera that the army would respond to any “irresponsible” actions, as its forces clash with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in several parts of the capital Khartoum and the country.
Brigadier-General Nabil Abdallah said in the interview that some politicians had been trying to politicise the military. He also said that RSF troops had a heavy presence at the headquarters of the state television station.
The video footage available online shows the army fighter jets flying over the capital Khartum at low altitude on Saturday.
MNA
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