Explosion heard in Sudan’s capital, clouds of smoke seen

KHARTOUM, Sudan

A powerful explosion was heard near the presidential palace in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Wednesday, according to witnesses.

Clouds of smoke could be seen rising from the area following the explosion, an eyewitness told Anadolu.

No further details were yet available, but the explosion occurred amid renewed clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) despite a 3-day cease-fire.

Explosions and anti-aircraft guns were also heard in the city of Bahri, north of Khartoum, witnesses said.

The new reports of violence came as the two warring rivals are set to start a 7-day cease-fire at midnight Wednesday.

At least 550 people have been killed and more than 4,900 injured in the fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF since April 15, according to Sudan’s Health Ministry.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the paramilitary force regarding the RSF’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

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 in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, is scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi