Sudan is experiencing heavy gunfire and explosions in Khartoum, the country’s capital, following days of tension between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group.
The tension between the two groups escalated on Thursday when the RSF moved some of its forces near a military airport without the army’s consent.
On Saturday, the tension reached a boiling point when shooting was heard in the base of Sudan’s army headquarters and the defence ministry in central Khartoum. Soldiers were deployed on the streets to control the chaos while smoke plumes rose from various parts of the city.
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Al-Jazeera said, “The Rapid Support Forces were surprised on Saturday with a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there.” The RSF added that the army “launched a sweeping attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons”.
Meanwhile, the army accused RSF fighters of attempting to seize the military headquarters.
“Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces attacked several army camps in Khartoum and elsewhere around Sudan. Clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country,” stated Nabil Abdallah, an army spokesman.
The tension between the army and RSF stems from disagreements over how the RSF should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process.
This move is part of Sudan’s transition to a civilian-led government.
