Reports indicate that there is heavy fighting around the Presidential Palace and Army Headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan, as tensions between the Sudanese paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the army have erupted into violence. Witnesses claim that cannon and armored vehicles have been deployed in the streets, and heavy weapons fire can be heard near the headquarters of both the army and RSF.
The RSF has released a statement claiming control of the Presidential Palace and airports in Khartoum, Marwa, and al-Abiad. Flights in and out of the airport in Khartoum have been suspended. The RSF says that they are responding to a surprise attack from the army on one of their bases, while the Armed Forces Command is accusing the group of “traitorous plotting” against the country.
The US ambassador to Sudan has reported sheltering amid the clashes in the capital, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called the situation “fragile,” noting that negotiations have been ongoing regarding the integration of the RSF into the army as part of a move towards civilian rule. The military has been in control of Sudan since a coup in 2021, which ended a power-sharing arrangement formed after the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir.
Credit: Reuters
