AMN / WEB DESK
A power struggle between Sudan’s army and a paramilitary force has rocked the country in which scores of combatants and more than 50 civilians have been reported dead while around 600 were injured. Residents dodged gunfire in the capital, Khartoum, as rival forces battled over the presidential palace, State TV, and army headquarters. The clashes erupted after tensions over a proposed transition to civilian rule.
Both the army and its opponents, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), claimed they had control of the airport and other key sites in Khartoum, where fighting continued overnight. Heavy artillery was heard in Omdurman, which adjoins Khartoum, and nearby Bahri in the early hours today. Eyewitnesses also reported gunfire in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan.
The international community has condemned the escalation of violence in Sudan’s capital Khartoum. The UK, the US, the EU, China and Russia have all called for an immediate end to the fighting. The UN’s secretary general has spoken to Gen Burhan and Gen Dagalo, urging them to end the violence.