Violent clashes continued in the Sudanese capital throughout the night and into Sunday, following deadly battles between paramilitary groups and the regular army, resulting in at least 56 deaths and nearly 600 injuries.
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and explosions in the deserted streets of Khartoum after the paramilitaries claimed control over the presidential palace, Khartoum airport, and other crucial facilities.
The army disputed these claims, and the Sudanese air force issued a statement late on Saturday warning citizens to stay indoors as it launched air strikes against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ bases.
The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, an independent pro-democracy group, confirmed the death toll of 56 among civilians and said that there were “tens of deaths” among security forces.
The violence erupted after weeks of tension between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of Daglo’s RSF into the regular army.
The integration was a crucial element of talks aimed at returning the country to civilian rule and ending the political-economic crisis triggered by the military’s 2021 coup.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations came from the UN, the Arab League, the African Union, and regional powers such as Egypt, France, Italy, Russia, and Iran.
