Long-standing tensions between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group exploded into open battle, killing at least three individuals.
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By Mehran Mazari
Witnesses reported confrontations surrounding Khartoum's presidential palace and army headquarters.
According to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), they control the presidential residence as well as various airports.
The organization said they were responding to a surprise army strike on one of its bases.
However, Sudan's military head stated that the army controls "all" critical military sites.
"No one was able to enter the Army General Command, and all strategic sites are under control," stated Abdel Fatah al-Burhan.
Sudan's army declared war on the RSF in Khartoum, accusing the group of "traitorous plotting" against the country.
According to the Sudanese Doctors' Trade Union, at least three civilians died as a result of the confrontations.
Meanwhile, medical sources at a hospital in central Khartoum told CNN on Saturday afternoon that it had received dozens of injured civilians and military people in the previous few hours.
Sudan has been ruled by the military since a coup in 2021, which terminated a power-sharing agreement created following the ouster of long-term former President Omar al-Bashir.
There have been talks about integrating the RSF into the army as part of the transition back to civilian authority, but sources told CNN that there are disagreements about who would be the leading partner in the merger.
International calls for a 'immediate Ceasefire'
There have been widespread calls for calm in the midst of a turbulent and unpredictable scenario on the ground.
The commencement of conflict was severely denounced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
He urged RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces officials to "immediately cease hostilities, restore calm, and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis." Any further escalation of the war will have a terrible impact on people and intensify the country's already perilous humanitarian situation."
In addition, the African Union released a statement asking "the political and military parties to find a fair political solution to the crisis."
Sudan's National Umma Party has made a comparable request. The Islamic political party issued a statement that included a list of demands for both sides' leaders, including an "immediate cease-fire at all engagement sites" and the return of both sides to "their previous positions before the clashes."
The US ambassador to Sudan claimed he was taking refuge in the capital amid the fighting.
"I just arrived late last night in Khartoum and woke up to the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting," tweeted Ambassador John Godfrey.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned during a press conference in Vietnam that the situation in Khartoum is "fragile."
"A few weeks ago, the major parties in Khartoum reached a critical framework agreement on how to proceed with the transition to civilian government." And there has been significant progress in moving that ahead," Blinken said on Saturday.
