Civilians onboard a Turkish military aircraft for evacuation amid clashes between army and paramilitary forces, at the Wadi Seidna Airbase in Khartoum, Sudan, April 28, 2023. (AA Photo)
On April 28, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense said that “light weapons were fired” at a C-130 plane heading to Wadi Sayidna Airport in Sudan to evacuate Turkish civilians.
The plane landed safely in the airport, which is located around 22 kilometers to the north of Khartoum, the ministry said in a tweet, adding that no personnel were wounded as a result of the attack.
The Sudanese military blamed the Rapid Support Force (RSF) for the attack on the Turkish evacuation plane, claiming that a crew member was wounded and the fuel supply was damaged. The paramilitary force later denied these accusations, without clarifying what exactly happened.
The incident came hours after the army and the RSF accepted a 72-hour extension of the ceasefire to allow foreign governments complete the evacuation of their citizens from Sudan.
Despite the ceasefire, fighting was reported in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman. The army clashed with the RSF in Khartoum’s upscale neighborhood of Kafouri as well as around the military’s headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. Several airstrikes targeted the paramilitary force.
The conflict in Sudan broke out on April 15 as a result of a disagreement over how the RSF, which is led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, should be integrated into the army, which is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, during transition to civilian-led rule in the country.
The two generals have been ruling the country as the president and vice-president of the so-called Sovereign Council since a coup in October 2021.
Several attempts to broker a temporary ceasefire between the army and RSF broke down, with both sides trading blame for violations.
An African initiative to launch talks between the two warring parties is gaining momentum. However, the continued clashes could jeopardize the process. At least 459 people have been killed since the start of the conflict.
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