Iran Press/ Africa: Witnesses reported explosions and gunfire near a base held by the paramilitary called Rapid Support Forces in south Khartoum.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard in Sudan’s capital Khartoum following days of tension between the army and a powerful paramilitary group.
Shooting and blasts took place on Saturday in the vicinity of Sudan’s army headquarters and the defense ministry in central Khartoum.
Columns of smoke emanated from various places in the city and soldiers were deployed on the streets.
“The Rapid Support Forces were surprised Saturday with a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there,” the RSF said in a statement.
The army forces “launched a sweeping attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons”, it said.
However, a spokesman for Sudan’s army said paramilitary troops attacked military bases.
“Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces attacked several army camps in Khartoum and elsewhere around Sudan,” said Brigadier-General Nabil Abdallah. “Clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country.”
The rift between the forces came to the surface on Thursday when the army said that recent movements by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group, had happened without coordination and were illegal.
On Friday and early on Saturday, the heads of both the army and RSF told mediators that they were ready to take steps to de-escalate the situation.
The military, which seized power in a coup 18 months ago, had agreed to hand that power to a civilian-led government this month. But the process has been dominated by the increasingly open rivalry between the two military leaders.
Intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the tensions from escalating into violence appeared to collapse on Saturday.
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People of Sudan demonstrate against army
