- Heavy fighting broke out between the army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.
- Gunfire, heavy artillery fire and explosions were heard in the capital Khartoum, tanks were sighted and fighter jets flew over the city.
- At least 27 people have died and more than 180 have been injured, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Association.
- The fighting is concentrated at the International Airport, the Presidential Palace and the state radio station.
The headquarters of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which was supposed to be integrated into the state military, is located in the south of the capital Khartoum. The RSF said Sudanese soldiers attacked their headquarters on Saturday morning.
The Sudan Doctors Association reported in the evening that at least 25 people have died and over 180 have been injured. A man died in a car that was run over by a tank, the dpa agency learned.
According to the RSF, they arrested Egyptian soldiers in the city of Merowe. Egypt’s military is monitoring the situation in Sudan and is coordinating with Sudanese authorities, army spokesman Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez said after a video surfaced showing Egyptian soldiers surrendering to the RSF.
Army controls again
The RSF had attacked his house, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told Al-Jazeera TV station. The army has regained control of the presidential palace, army headquarters and the airport.
RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo previously said in an interview with al-Jazeera that he wanted to bring General al-Burhan and his allies to justice.
In the evening, the Air Force called on the country’s population to stay indoors. The reason is the monitoring of the airspace in areas where RSF troops are stationed.
international concern
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the parties to the conflict to cease hostilities immediately. The countries in the region must contribute to defusing the conflict. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also called for an end to the violence.
In the evening, Guterres was able to call RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the UN said. A telephone conversation with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan should follow “as soon as possible”.
Chad has announced that it will close its more than 1,000-kilometer border with Sudan, a government spokesman said.
Britain requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on Saturday evening. The meeting is scheduled to take place on Sunday morning.
The EDA was also concerned about the situation. Switzerland is calling on both parties to stop the fighting immediately, writes the FDFA on Twitter.
In view of the heavy fighting, two airlines want to suspend their flights to Khartoum. According to Saudi Arabian Airlines, a plane with passengers on board was damaged by gunfire before departure on Saturday morning. In addition to Saudi Arabian Airlines, the Egyptian airline Egypt Air also wants to suspend all flight connections to Khartoum for 72 hours.