Amid cautious calm and tension between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, despite the two parties' affirmation of their adherence to the calm, today (Saturday) Khartoum witnessed violent clashes between the two sides, during which light and heavy weapons were used. Each party announced its control of the capital's airport and the presidential palace. The Sudanese army denied the allegations of the Rapid Support Forces regarding its control of the airport, the presidential palace and the home of army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announcing the implementation of an air strike against it. The army stressed in a statement that its forces fully control the headquarters of the presidency and general command in the center of the capital, and all military bases and airports in the country.
This came after the support announced the control of the airport, the palace, and the house of the army commander, according to what international media reported. It claimed control of the military base in Marawi in the Northern State, which witnessed violent clashes inside and around it, where heavy weapons were used, amid a state of panic and fear among the residents of the region.
The armed conflict erupted with heavy gunfire, beginning near a Rapid Support headquarters in the vicinity of the Sports City, south of the capital, to turn later into violent military clashes in north and central Khartoum, amid an unprecedented security deployment in the vicinity of the presidential palace and the airport.
Eyewitnesses reported that the clashes extended to the White Nile Bridge, which connects Khartoum and Omdurman, confirming the extensive deployment of army and security forces in all streets, and the deployment of armored vehicles and tanks.
The events led to a halt in movement at the capital's airport, following strong clashes that erupted between elements of both sides, amid panic among the passengers.
In a statement, the Rapid Support Forces accused the army of raiding its headquarters in the Soba area of Khartoum, using all kinds of heavy and light weapons. She pointed out that she had contacted each of the Quartet Mechanism and the mediation group, represented by Malik Aqar, Minni Arco Minawi, and Jibril Ibrahim, and informed them of this brutal attack, according to her description.
It called on the Sudanese people in the armed forces to stand by the truth, and urged international and regional public opinion to condemn this behavior.
Bloody confrontations broke out that left dead and wounded, according to some sources, despite the confirmation of the army commander, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, yesterday, their keenness to calm down and not bring the country into the furnace of conflict.
Disputes erupted between the two military forces last Wednesday in the Marawi region, after the RSF pushed about 100 military vehicles to a location near the military air base there, which provoked the army, which described this move as illegal, stressing the necessity of the withdrawal of those forces, which did not happen. Until now.
Okaz (Khartoum) @okaz_online
