Dozens dead as Sudan army and paramilitary RSF fight for control

Sudan's military and a powerful paramilitary force have engaged in fierce fighting in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere in country, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. 

A doctors' group claimed at least 27 people were killed and 170 wounded as fighting raged early on Sunday.

Sudanese Doctors' Union told the Reuters news agency on Saturday that it was unable to determine if all the causalities were civilians.

"An initial count of the regrettable events of Saturday ... has left 27 people killed" including in the capital Khartoum, the doctors' union said in a statement.

Two people were killed at Khartoum airport, four in neighborhing Omdurman, eight in the city of Nyala, six in the city of El Obeid and five in El Fasher, Reuters reported citing a source. 

After a day of heavy fighting, the military ruled out negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces [RSF], instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a "rebellious militia." The tough language signalled that the conflict between the former allies, who jointly orchestrated the 2021 coup, was likely to continue.

Sudanese air force called on citizens to stay indoors as they conduct a full aerial survey of areas of RSF activity, a statement on the armed forces Facebook page said.

One eyewitness told Reuters late on Saturday they could hear sounds of explosions in the vicinity of the airport in central Khartoum.

The army rejected on Saturday assertions by RSF that they had seized the presidential palace, the army chief's residence and airports in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe.

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."

The RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, called Burhan a "criminal" and a "liar".

"We know where you are hiding and we will get to you and hand you over to justice, or you die just like any other dog," he said in an interview with the station.

TRT World has not been able to independently verify the claims from both sides.

The RSF said the army had attacked it first, while the army said it was fighting the RSF at sites the paramilitaries said they had taken.

The clashes follow rising tensions between the army and the RSF over the RSF's integration into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing of an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy.

READ MORE: Deadly fighting rages between regular army, paramilitaries across Sudan

Egypt troops 'surrender' to RSF

The army said the Sudanese air force was conducting operations against the RSF. Footage from broadcasters showed a military aircraft in the sky above Khartoum, but Reuters could not independently confirm the material.

Gunfire could be heard in several parts of Khartoum and eyewitnesses reported shooting in adjoining cities.

A Reuters journalist saw cannons and armoured vehicles deployed in the streets of the capital and heard heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and RSF.

RSF shared a video that they claimed showed Egyptian troops who had "surrendered" to them in Merowe, northern Sudan.

Egypt's military, in its first comment, said Egyptian forces are present in Sudan to conduct exercises with their Sudanese counterparts and that the military is currently coordinating with relevant Sudanese authorities to guarantee the safety of Egyptian forces.

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.

'Irresponsible' actions

TV footage showed smoke rising over several areas of Khartoum.

Clashes were also taking place at the headquarters of Sudan's state TV, said an anchor who appeared on screen.

The Sudanese armed forces spokesperson told the Al Jazeera Mubasher television station that the army would respond to any "irresponsible" actions.

Brigadier-General Nabil Abdallah said there was a heavy presence of RSF troops at the TV headquarters in Khartoum.

Eyewitnesses reported gunfire in many other parts of the country outside the capital. Those included heavy exchanges of gunfire in Merowe, eyewitnesses told Reuters.

Clashes had also erupted between the RSF and army in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, eyewitnesses said.

The RSF said it had taken control of airports in El Fasher as well as in West Darfur state.

Civilian forces that signed a draft version of that agreement in December called for an immediate halt to hostilities by both the army and the RSF, to stop Sudan from sliding towards "the precipice of total collapse".

"This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country," they said in a statement. "This is a war that no one will win, and that will destroy our country forever."

International powers — Türkiye, US, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union — all called for an end to the hostilities.

READ MORE: Türkiye, UN, US urge ceasefire, de-escalation as fighting erupts in Sudan

Flights suspended

A Saudi Arabian Airlines plane at Khartoum airport came under fire during clashes, the state-owned carrier said.

It said it had suspended flights to and from Sudan until further notice. Egypt's national airline, Egyptair, suspended flights to Khartoum for 72 hours.

The army said the RSF had tried to attack its troops in several positions.

The RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, said its forces were attacked first by the army, which had surrounded one of its bases and opened fire with heavy weapons.

Hemedti's RSF evolved from so-called janjaweed militias that fought in a conflict in the 2000s in the Darfur region, where an estimated 2.5 million people were displaced and 300,000 killed.

International Criminal Court prosecutors accused government officials and janjaweed commanders of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Hemedti had put himself at the forefront of a planned transition towards democracy, unsettling fellow military rulers and triggering a mobilisation of troops in the capital Khartoum.

The rift between the forces came to the surface on Thursday when the army said recent movements by the RSF, particularly in Merowe, were illegal.

READ MORE: A timeline of Sudan unrest since military coup that ousted Bashir