U.S. Ambassador Details Waking Up to 'Gunfire' as Fighting Erupts in Sudan

John Godfrey, the U.S. ambassador to Sudan, has described how he is sheltering from gunfire amid growing tensions between the African country's army and a paramilitary force.

Reports of gunfire and explosions in the capital city Khartoum on Saturday come amid a dispute about a proposed transition to civilian rule in the country that has been run by generals, through a Sovereign Council, following a coup in October 2021.

"I just arrived late last night in Khartoum and woke up to the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting," Godfrey wrote on Twitter on Saturday. "I am currently sheltering in place with the Embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing."

Godfrey said that the escalation of tensions "within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous," adding: "I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting."

The. U.S. Embassy in the country has said that "due to heavy gunfire" in parts of Khartoum, staff at the mission "have been ordered to shelter in place. "American citizens are encouraged to shelter in place," the embassy website statement added.

Tensions in Sudan have been growing between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, over integrating the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army.

The dispute centers on a proposed move to a civilian-led government and how the RSF would integrate into the national army. The RSF wanted to delay the integration for 10 years, but the army said it should take place in two years.

There are conflicting accounts from both sides about who started the latest spike in violence and who was controlling parts of the capital.

The RSF said it had taken over the presidential palace and the international airport but that claim has not been verified, the BBC reported. For its part, the military said it still controls all bases and airports and that the air force is conducting operations to confront the RSF.

The RSF said in a statement it had been surprised by "a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there."

Meanwhile, the army has blamed the paramilitaries for the heavy fighting, accusing them of attacking army camps around the country.

Army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah told the Agence France-Presse that clashes were ongoing and the army "is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country."

On Thursday, the RSF deployed forces near the military base in the northern city of Merowe where witnesses have described gunfire. Witnesses reported "confrontations" and loud explosions and gunfire near an RSF base in south Khartoum, AFP reported.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described the situation in the Sudanese capital as "fragile." When contacted for comment, the U.S. State Department referred Newsweek to a tweet by Blinken, which said he was "deeply concerned" about reports of escalating violence in the country.

"We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues," added Blinken.

Update 04/15/23, 7:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.

Update 04/15/23, 12:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a State Department response.