Sudan: The army and paramilitaries are fighting in key areas

A power struggle between the Sudanese army and a notorious paramilitary force has rocked the capital, Khartoum, with at least three civilians confirmed dead.

Residents dodged gunfire as opposing forces battled the presidential palace, state TV and army headquarters.

Clashes erupted following tensions over a proposed transition to civilian rule.

The army said the jets hit the bases of its rivals, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both sides say they control the airport and other key sites.

Fighting was also reported in other parts of the country, including in cities in the Darfur region.

The fighting is between army units loyal to the de facto leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Sudan’s deputy leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Gen Dagalo said his troops will continue to fight until all army bases are captured.

People were filmed running and hiding as black smoke rose over Khartoum and chaos continued.

A Reuters journalist said there were armored vehicles on the streets, while video showed a civilian plane on fire at Khartoum airport. Saudi airline Saudia said one of its Airbuses was set on fire.

Saudia and EgyptAir suspended flights to Khartoum and neighboring Chad closed its border with Sudan.

“The shooting is still going on and people are staying at home – there is a lot of panic and fear,” an eyewitness told the BBC through his Kenya-based brother.

Residents did not expect clashes, he said, and many were caught in transit. that bridges and roads are closed and many schools are on lockdown.

Duaa Tariq was speaking to the BBC when a military plane flew over her building. “They fired live bullets on the roof of the neighbor’s house and we are now taking shelter,” he said.

The UK, US and EU have all called for an immediate end to the fighting.

US Ambassador John Godfrey said he “was awakened by the terrifying sounds of gunfire and fighting. I am now sheltering in place with the Embassy team, as the Sudanese are doing throughout Khartoum and elsewhere”.

The Russian embassy is also concerned about the “escalation of violence” and is urging a ceasefire, Reuters reports.

The RSF claimed control of at least three airports, the army chief’s residence and the presidential palace, but Gen Burhan denied this in an interview with al-Jazeera.

There were also reports of clashes at the state TV station, which eyewitnesses said was now controlled by the RSF.

Gen Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, told al-Jazeera that Gen Burhan was a “criminal” and could be killed or “face justice”.

Earlier, the RSF said one of its camps south of Khartoum had been attacked.

For its part, the army said that RSF fighters were trying to seize the military headquarters.

“Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces attacked several army camps in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan,” the AFP news agency quoted army spokesman Brig Gen Nabil Abdallah as saying.

“Clashes continue and the army is fulfilling its duty to protect the country.”

Reuters news agency also cited witnesses as saying there was gunfire in the northern town of Merowe. The RSF deployed forces near the base on Thursday as tensions rose.

The generals have run the country, through the so-called Sovereign Council, since a coup in October 2021.

Gen Burhan is the president of the council, while Hemedti is its vice-president.

But a proposed move by a civilian-led government established the timetable for integrating the RSF into the national army. The RSF wanted it to be delayed for 10 years, but the army said it would happen within two years.

Hemedti was a key figure in the conflict in Darfur that began in 2003 and left hundreds of thousands dead.

Western powers and regional leaders have urged both sides to ease tensions and return to talks aimed at restoring civilian rule.

There were signs on Friday that the situation would be resolved.

The 2021 coup ended a period of more than two years when military and civilian leaders shared power. That deal came after Sudan’s longtime authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir was ousted.

There have been regular pro-democracy protests in Khartoum since the coup.