SUDAN STRIFE
Fifty-six civilians killed in gun battles as armed paramilitary forces fight to control Sudan capital in power struggle
AT least 56 civilians have been killed in a series of gun battles as armed parliamentary forces fight to control Sudan's capital.
Three UN aid workers were among those who died as rival armed factions battled.
3
3
US Ambassador John Godfrey sheltered as gunfire and explosions blasted the capital of Sudan, Khartoum.
He posted: “Escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous.
“I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting.”
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s government is battling the Rapid Support Forces as the African nation attempts to switch to civilian rule.
READ MORE WORLD NEWS
Both claimed to be in control of the presidential palace and airport.
A witness said: “There’s so much panic and fear.”
Many residents were caught in transit, with many bridges and roads closed and schools in lockdown.
The power struggle for control of the chaos-stricken nation continued for a second day on Sunday, with at least 56 people so far killed.
Most read in News
The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said close to 600 people were wounded, including civilians and fighters.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called on Sudan’s leadership to “restrain troops and de-escalate”.
Tensions between the two sides have been escalating in recent months, forcing a delay in signing a deal with political parties to revive the country’s democratic transition.
They had forged a partnership after former leader Omar al Bashir was ousted in 2019.
But army boss General Abdel Fattah has been de facto president since a military coup in October 2021.
Heavy fighting raged early Sunday morning in the capital of Khartoum and the adjoining city of Omdurman.
There were fierce clashes around the military headquarters, Khartoum International Airport and state television headquarters, Tahani Abass, a prominent rights advocate, said.
"The battles have not stopped", she said from her family home close to the military headquarters.
"They are shooting against each other in the streets. It's an all-out war in residential areas."
Both sides signaled late Saturday that they were unwilling to negotiate.
The military, headed by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, called for dismantling the RSF, which it labeled a rebellious militia.
The head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, told the satellite news network Al Arabyia that he ruled out negotiations.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Dagalo called on Burhan to surrender.
Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure appeared to be mounting. Top diplomats, including the US Secretary of State, the UN secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission urged the sides to stop fighting.
3
Topics