Sudan’s army, rival force clash in new blow to democracy hopes

The clashes in Sudan's capital and elsewhere in the country capped months of heightened tensions between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces group.

Sudan’s military and a powerful paramilitary force engaged in fierce fighting Saturday in the capital and elsewhere in country, serving a new blow to hopes of a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. A doctors’ group said at least three people were killed and dozens injured.

The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which had been derailed by an October 2021 military coup.

The sound of heavy firing could be heard throughout the day Saturday across the capital, Khartoum, and its sister city of Omdurman, where the military and the RSF have amassed tens of thousands of troops since the coup.

Witnesses said fighters from both sides fired from armored vehicles and from machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks in fighting in densely populated areas. Some tanks were seen in Khartoum. The military said it launched strikes from planes and drones at RSF positions in and around the capital.

Residents described chaotic scenes. “Fire and explosions are everywhere,” said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. “All are running and seeking shelter.”

“We haven’t seen such battles in Khartoum before,” said Khartoum resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa.

One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights. This included Sudan-bound flights from Egypt and Saudi Arabia which turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed.

Saudi Arabia’s national airline said one of its Airbus A330 aircraft was involved in what is called “an accident.” Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire during the fighting. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737. SkyUp is a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.