Sudan's army clashes with paramilitary force as wider conflict feared

Fierce clashes between Sudan’s military and the country’s powerful paramilitary force have erupted in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere in the African nation, raising fears of a wider conflict in the chaos-stricken nation.

On Saturday, the sound of heavy firing could be heard in a number of areas in Khartoum, including the city centre and the neighbourhood of Bahri.

In a series of statements, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group claimed to have taken control of several key sites in Sudan, including the presidential palace in central Khartoum and airports in Khartoum and Merowe in the north of the country.

It said the moves came in response to attacks by the regular army on RSF bases in south Khartoum, where earlier witnesses had told Reuters news agency that they heard heavy gunfire.

In response, the Sudanese army said fighting broke out after RSF troops tried to attack its forces in the southern part of the capital. Later, the military declared the RSF a “rebel force,” describing the paramilitary’s statements as “lies.”

Sudan's air force struck multiple paramilitary bases in Khartoum, the army said, adding that the army was chasing down RSF fighters and urged civilians to stay indoors.

"The Sudanese air force destroyed Tiba and Soba camps (in Khartoum) which belong to the Rapid Support (Forces) militia," the army said in a statement.

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 Khartoum International Airport, flight tracking data showed.

READ MORE: Sudan's military warns of conflict after rival force deploys in Khartoum

Deepening tensions

The rift between the forces came to the surface on Thursday, when the army said that recent movements by the RSF had happened without coordination and were illegal.

A confrontation between them could spell prolonged strife across a vast country already dealing with economic breakdown and flare-ups of tribal violence. 

Earlier, Sudan's head of state and army chief General Abdel Fattah al Burhan had indicated that the military is prepared to take any step to solve the ongoing standoff. 

But for weeks, deepening tensions have developed between Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Moha med Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of RSF into the regular army.

The RSF, which together with the army overthrew long-ruling leader Omar al Bashir in 2019, began redeploying units in Khartoum and elsewhere amid talks last month on its integration into the military under a transition plan leading to new elections.

That dispute has delayed the signing of a final agreement with political parties and the formation of a civilian government.

Sheltering in place

Citizens have blamed both sides for the tensions. 

"They are fighting over power and plundering the country, we are fighting for food and drink and education and healthcare," said Nafisa Suleiman, sitting at a vegetable stall.

"The military is supposed to protect people and now they are our greatest danger," said 35-year-old Isam Hassan. "The RSF should be under the military's control. No country has two armies," he added.

The military's civilian interlocutors called on both sides "to immediately cease hostilities and spare the country slipping into the abyss of total collapse."

Their plea was echoed by US Ambassador John Godfrey, who tweeted that he was "currently sheltering in place with the embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing".

READ MORE: Sudan's military warns of RSF deployment in Khartoum, other cities