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16-04-2023
KHARTOUM: Sudan’s military and a powerful paramilitary force have engaged in fierce fighting in the capital and elsewhere in the country, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict.
The fighting killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 170 others across the country, the Sudanese Doctors Union said in a statement late on Saturday.
The group was unable to determine if all the casualties were civilians.
It added that there were many uncounted casualties, including military and paramilitary forces in the western Darfur region and the northern town of Merowe.
The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup.
After a day of heavy fighting, the military struck a base belonging to the RSF in the city of Omdurman, which adjoins the capital Khartoum, according to witnesses, and ruled out negotiations with the paramilitary force.
It instead called for the dismantling of what it called a “rebellious militia”.
The sound of heavy firing could be heard throughout Saturday across Khartoum and Omdurman, where the military and the RSF have amassed tens of thousands of troops since the coup.
Witnesses said fighters from both sides fired from armoured vehicles and from machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks in fighting in densely populated areas. Some tanks were seen in Khartoum. The military said it launched attacks from planes and drones at RSF positions in and around the capital.
Residents described chaotic scenes.
“Fire and explosions are everywhere,” said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. “All are running and seeking shelter.”
“We haven’t seen such battles in Khartoum before,” said Khartoum resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa.
One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights.
This included Sudan-bound flights from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed.
Saudi Arabia’s national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called “an accident”. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire. The Sudanese Doctors Union said two people were killed at Khartoum airport, four in neighboring Omdurman, eight in the city of Nyala, six in the city of El Obeid and five in El Fasher, the source added.
Reporting from Khartoum, journalist Hiba Morgan said clashes for the control of various airports had intensified throughout the day, as well as at other key facilities.
“Both sides are trying to control the airports because they will be major supply routes for whoever manages to control them,” she said.
The leaders of the armed forces and the RSF, who were partners in the 2021 coup, traded blame for starting Saturday’s fighting and offered conflicting accounts of who was in control of key installations.
General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, commander of Sudan’s military told media in a phone interview that RSF troops first “harassed” the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. He said the RSF attacked his residence at the army headquarters around 9am local time (07:00 GMT).
Burhan accused the RSF of entering Khartoum airport and setting fire to some planes. He also said all strategic facilities including the military’s headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudan’s presidency, are under his forces’ control. (Int’l News Desk)
