Sudan armed clashes kill nine civilians
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The Sudanese armed forces clashing with the Rapid Support Forces has led to nine casualties all over the country, media reported.
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Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15, 2023 (AP)
Armed confrontations between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have resulted in the death of six civilians in Omdurman, Sudan's most populous city, a local hospital informed Russian news agency Sputnik.
The Sudanese city sits on the western bank of the Nile, directly opposite the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
It was revealed that the clashes between the army and the RSF have killed two people in the Khartoum Airport, with another getting killed in El Obeid.
"We have admitted six civilians killed in the shooting between the army and the RSF in several parts of Omdurman," the director of the Omdurman morgue, Jamal Youssef, said.
The RSF on Thursday reportedly carried out a sudden redeployment of its forces near the airport in Merowe, northern Sudan, with the Sudanese army responding by issuing a statement saying the redeployment was illegal and was not coordinated with Khartoum.
Clashes broke out earlier on Friday, culminating with the RSF claiming control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum and the airports in Khartoum and Merowe. The national army denied the presidential palace's takeover and said it was bombing RSF bases near Khartoum.
International organizations and various countries, including Russia, have called on the Sudanese adversaries to cease fire and kickstart talks. Two large airlines, EgyptAir and Saudia, have temporarily suspended flights to Sudan, citing insecurity.
Explosions and gunfire were heard in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Saturday, AFP reported, while reports argued that clashes between the Sudanese military and the RSF erupted across the country's capital.
A statement by the RSF declared the group's control of the Presidential Palace, the guest house, Khartoum airports of Merowe and El Obeid, as well as a number of locations across the Sudanese states. The RSF also accused the Sudanese army of launching an attack using "heavy and light weapons" against one of its military bases in Khartoum earlier.
Meanwhile, army spokesperson Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah told AFP "Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces attacked several army camps in Khartoum and elsewhere around Sudan," adding that "clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country."
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In turn, the director of the capital's Center for Strategic and Political Studies, Hassan Shayeb Denqos, told Al Mayadeen that "there is a state of panic among citizens, after heavy gunfire, clashes on the streets of the capital."
Denqos added that "the Sudanese army and the RSF are in a state of intense congestion", noting that "the current situation heralds a major explosion between them."
A few days ago, the Sudanese army warned against the deployment of RSF in Khartoum and some cities, noting that the movements took place without the consent and coordination of the leadership of the armed forces.
In contrast, the RSF, which operates under the command of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the military junta, have confirmed that they are deployed throughout the country under their normal duties.
