Conflict between the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Saturday raised concern over the aggravation of the already precarious humanitarian and economic situation in the country.

The conflict, which arose over a political agreement entered into by the two groups in a bid to transition from military rule to a civilian government after a 2021 military coup, saw the RSF seize control of the presidential palace and two international airports. The political agreement was intended to pave the way toward building a democratic state based on human rights, rule of law and gender equality and realise the aspirations of Sudan’s youth, women and men.

Several organizations and nations have called on Sudan’s RSF and SAF to de-escalate the conflict as it puts to a halt the country’s aspiration to build a democratic state and is a threat to it’s peace. Commenting on the issue, UN’s spokes person for the Secretary general said,” The secretary general calls on the leaders of the RSF and SAF to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis. Any further escalation in the fighting will have a devastating impact on civilians and further aggravate the already precarious humanitarian situation in the country.” The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell also said that ” An escalation will only aggravate the situation.”

Nations such as the UK, Russia and the US urged citizens and ambassadors in Sudan to seek shelter for their protection. The logistics of this are unclear, however, in light of a lack of publicly available formal shelter options in Sudan. Foreign nations are scouring for ways to evacuate their citizens to safety, as echoed by the British Embassy, which advised its nationals in Sudan to keep calm, remain indoors and follow their travel advice for more updates.

The world continues to show solidarity with Sudan, urging the RSF and SAF to end the violence and maintain peace. Among them, UN rights chief, Volter Turk expressed his solidarity with the people of Sudan, saying the population “deserves better” and a “voice of reason is needed to stop violence and revert to earlier promising path towards peace and civilian transition”. UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres also condemned the fighting and reaffirmed the commitment of the UN to supporting the people of Sudan in their efforts to restore a democratic transition.

This is a developing story.