Gunfire erupts in Sudan; paramilitary group claims to seize palace

Tensions have run high for months between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which have been sharing power. A military coup brought down the country’s civilian government in 2021.

On Saturday, the tensions erupted into an all-out battle, with gunfights in the streets, raising fears of a wider conflict in a country facing economic troubles.

The U.S. ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, said he was sheltering in place with the embassy team after waking up to “the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting.” He said the escalation of tensions into clashes was “extremely dangerous,” calling on senior military leaders to stop the fighting.

Witnesses, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, reported seeing armored vehicles and plumes of smoke rising in the city. Mothers dashed to get their children from school, as bridges were blocked and people tried to go home under gunfire, an activist, citing eyewitness reports from their network, said.

In Khartoum, a Save the Children staff member said there was “a lot of artillery and shooting” since the morning, with gunshots also heard in the city of Omdurman. “We told all staff to stay home. Our biggest concern is the safety of children and their families,” the staff member said.

“There are armored personnel carriers and troops deploying,” said another witness. “I can hear heavy weapons in the distance.”

Sounds of gunfire were also heard in cities near Khartoum, Reuters reported, while the Associated Press said commercial aircraft trying to land in the capital had started turning around.

The army said it was fighting RSF attempts to seize the presidential palace and the residence of the army chief. It added that the Sudanese air force was conducting operations against RSF positions, and shared unverified footage of military aircraft in the sky. “We are waging a battle of national dignity that has long been coming,” the army said.

The paramilitary group accused the army of opening fire at one of its bases earlier, while the military said the RSF had tried to attack its troops.

Sudan “is on the precipice of civil war,” said Alan Boswell, director for the Horn of Africa for the International Crisis Group. He also wrote in a tweet that the situation would require “high-level diplomacy” after days of rising tensions between the armed forces and the RSF.