In Sudan, fighting has entered its second day as tensions between the country's paramilitary group and army escalate into violence. Skirmishes involving heavy weaponry have broken out around the army headquarters and presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, with additional reports of conflict in Port Sudan and the Darfur region. The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors has reported that at least 56 people have been killed, and nearly 600 injured in the fighting.
A female doctor in Khartoum told CNN, "Since yesterday we have not been able to leave the hospital for our homes because the clashes are taking place near the hospital and armed men from the army are roaming inside the hospital with their weapons." She added, "We are in a real state of terror with the sound of explosions and bullets, we escaped death many times."
Paramilitary chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, claimed his armed group had seized most of Khartoum's official sites after clashes erupted on Saturday. On Sunday, his Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced control of Meroe airport in the north, the presidential palace, Khartoum airport, and the General Command headquarters. However, military leader Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan disputed these claims, insisting the military has retained control of government sites. CNN has been unable to independently confirm either side's claims.
Dagalo accused al-Burhan of instigating the fighting, telling CNN's Larry Madowo, "We were defending ourselves. We're sorry and we tell the Sudanese people that this crisis will end, and Sudan will be even better than before. And this will be a lesson to learn in the future." He also alleged that the Sudanese army violated a UN-brokered temporary humanitarian ceasefire on Sunday evening.
Dagalo speculated that al-Burhan may have lost control of his military, as "they don't seem to be listening to him." The power struggle between Dagalo and al-Burhan, who played key roles in the 2019 overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir, has been fueled by tensions over the RSF's integration into the army.
As international alarm grows, Sudan's former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has called for immediate negotiations, warning of civil war. The US, UN, and African leaders are also urging an end to the fighting, while Egypt and South Sudan have offered to mediate. The UN's political mission in Sudan reported that the country's warring factions have agreed to a "proposal," though the details remain unclear.
