US ambassador forced to shelter as fighting breaks out in Sudan’s capital

The US ambassador to Sudan has been forced to take shelter after sustained fighting broke out in the capital Khartoum, as tension between the military and powerful paramilitary forces escalates.

John Godfrey said he and embassy staff were sheltering in place as heavy firing was heard in a number of areas.

The British embassy has also warned UK nationals to “remain indoors” as it monitors the situation.

Clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are ongoing around the presidential palace and Khartoum International Airport as both sides fight for control of symbolic sites.

Residents are camped in their homes as black smoke from heavy gunfire covers areas of the capital, with injured civilians having started pouring into hospitals.

Fighting started early on Saturday morning in southern Khartoum and spread to the rest of the city.

Mr Godfrey said the escalation was “extremely dangerous” and called on senior leadership to stop the clashes.

‘All-out civil war’

Yassir Abdullah, managing editor of Al-Sudani Newspaper, warned the country was heading for “all-out civil war”.

“This is deeply serious,” he said.

“If there is no intervention from Armed Forces leadership to stop the fighting, we are headed to an all-out civil war.

“This is a threat to the stability of the country as a whole. There are no winners here.”

Where is the fighting happening?

The RSF claimed it had seized Khartoum airport and the presidential palace in the city centre.

It said it had also taken an airport and air base in the northern city of Marawi.

The RSF added on Twitter, Armed Forces troops had besieged its headquarters in the southern area of Soba and “launched a sweeping attack with heavy and light weapons”.

In a statement from the Sudanese army, the military declared the RSF a “rebel force,” describing the paramilitary’s statements as “lies”.

Residents told Sky News they could hear gunfire from that direction and close to the presidential palace.

The army said the RSF attacked its military bases in the capital and across the country.

It said it was dealing with “infiltrations” of Khartoum airport, but maintained it still controlled all bases and airports.

Why are tensions escalating?

Tensions between the two sides have been long growing, but they escalated in recent days as the RSF revived its presence in Khartoum and mobilised in Merowe, in the north of the country.

The RSF and Sudan’s army forged a partnership during the 2019 revolution to oust long-time dictator Omar Al-Bashir and share power during the transitional period that followed. The pact was consolidated by a coup in October 2021 that dissolved the civilian cabinet and halted the transition to democracy.

Last December, Sudan’s military and pro-democracy leaders signed a deal paving the way to democratic elections, but the agreement has been delayed by the escalating tensions.

Current tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF should merge with the military – a process that is a key condition of the transition agreement.

The RSF and armed forces are headed up by Al-Bashir’s former allies. RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo headed up the tribal militias empowered by the government to carry out atrocities during the Darfur conflict that broke out 20 years ago.

The armed forces are headed up by General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, Al-Bashir’s former inspector general.

Both sides have been accused of violence against civilian pro-democracy protesters in the years that followed the 2019 revolution.