- By Robert Plummer
- BBC News
53 minutes ago
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Observe: Protection from fighter planes and gunfire around Khartoum airport
Fierce clashes have been reported from across Sudan as fighting between rival armed factions spreads.
The escalation came on the second day of clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, which have now claimed at least 59 lives.
The Sudanese army said it occupied RSF bases in Port Sudan, Kasala, Kadaref, Demazin and Kosti.
The RSF claimed to occupy locations in Omdurman and Darfur and Merowe Airport in the north.
However, later reports suggested the army had regained control of the airport, with the military saying they were dealing with “small rebel groups”.
Witnesses in Sudan told Portal that the army appeared to be gaining the upper hand in the country’s power struggle after airstrikes blew up RSF bases.
Earlier, both sides had observed a temporary humanitarian ceasefire to allow the evacuation of the wounded.
Complaints followed from doctors’ unions that it was difficult for medics and the sick to get to and from hospitals as fighting raged.
The brief lull in fighting came as a chorus of international voices called for a permanent end to the violence.
Leading Arab states and the US have also been pushing for the resumption of talks to restore civilian rule, while the African Union has announced it will send its top diplomat, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to try to negotiate a ceasefire.
Image source, Maxar Technologies
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Thick black smoke was visible over Khartoum (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)
According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, Egypt and South Sudan also offered to mediate between the conflicting parties.
For its part, the UN World Food Program suspended its activities in Sudan after three of its employees were killed on Saturday.
The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has claimed to control key sites in the capital, Khartoum.
However, this claim was denied by Sudan’s leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the country’s ruling Sovereign Council.
It is reported that Sudanese state television stopped broadcasting, but it was not immediately clear what caused the program break.
Sudan has been governed by a General Council since the ouster of the country’s longtime authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
The violence erupted on Saturday after days of tension over the roadmap for the country’s transition to civilian rule.
One of the biggest points of contention is plans to incorporate the 100,000-strong RSF into the army and who would then lead the new force.
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Watch: What happened in Sudan in the last 24 hours?