Egypt calls for maximum restraint in Sudan amid military clashes

ANKARA

Egypt on Saturday called on all Sudanese parties to exercise maximum restraint amid clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

A Foreign Ministry statement said Egypt is following the developments of the situation in Sudan with great concern

It called on all parties in Sudan to exercise maximum restraint in order to "protect the lives and capabilities of the brotherly Sudanese people, and uphold the supreme interests of the homeland.”

Fighting broke out early Saturday between the Sudanese army and RSF fighters in Khartoum, with gunfire and bombs heard near the army headquarters and presidential palace, according to an Anadolu reporter in Khartoum.

While the RSF accused the army of attacking its forces south of Khartoum with light and heavy weapons, the military said the paramilitary force was “spreading lies” and declared it a “rebel” group.

The dispute between the two sides came to the surface on Thursday when the army said recent movements by the RSF had happened without coordination and were illegal, with their rift centering around a proposed transition to civilian rule.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021 when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency

Last December, Sudan’s military and political forces signed a framework agreement to resolve the months-long crisis.

The signing of the final agreement was scheduled to take place on April 6, but was delayed. No date has been announced for the signing of the deal.

Sudan’s transitional period which started in August 2019 was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Ikram Kouachi contributed to this report.