Indians in Sudan asked to stay indoors amid army-paramilitary clash

The Embassy of India in Sudan advises Indians to stay indoors in view of reported firings and clashes in the country

The Indian Embassy in Sudan’s capital Khartoum has asked all nationals to stay indoors and take utmost precautions as gunshots and explosions rang out in various parts of the city following clashes between the army and the paramilitary forces.

In a Twitter post, the embassy issued a notice that read, “In view of reported firings and clashes, all Indians are advised to take utmost precautions, stay indoors and stop venturing outside with immediate effect. Please also stay calm and wait for updates.”
 

Videos circulating on social media showed armed fighters advancing through residential areas against a background sound of intense gunfire, driving across the runway of the city’s international airport and operating checkpoints at major traffic junctions.

In a statement, the Rapid Support Forces militia accused the army of attacking its forces at one of its bases in south Khartoum and claimed they had seized Khartoum airport. They also said they seized an airport and air base in the northern city of Marawi, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of Khartoum.

In a separate statement Saturday, the Sudanese Army said the fighting broke out after RSF troops tired to attack its forces in the southern part of the capital. In a later statement, the military declared the RSF a “rebel force,” describing the paramilitary’s statements as “lies.”

The clashes came as tensions between the military and the RSF have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay in the signing of an internationally backed deal with political parties to revive the country’s democratic transition.

Commercial aircraft trying to land at Khartoum International Airport began turning around to head back to their originating airport. Flights from Saudi Arabia turned back after nearly landing at Khartoum International Airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday.

Tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudan’s unsigned transition agreement.

(With inputs from agencies)