The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group have accused each other of attacking a convoy of French nationals, both saying one Frenchman was injured
.
The French Foreign Ministry, which had previously said it was evacuating diplomatic personnel and citizens, did not comment on the news, published by Reuters on its website.
RSF paramilitaries reported on Facebook this morning that they were attacked by planes "during the evacuation of French citizens from their country's embassy, passing through Bahri towards Omdurman", in an action which, in addition to blocking the transfer, " endangered the lives of French citizens, one of whom was wounded".
"The Rapid Support Forces say that, in full coordination with the French government, the evacuation convoy of French nationals moved this morning from the assembly points to the French Embassy and crossed" the "Bahri neighborhood" to Omdurman" , the sister city of Khartoum, is being added.
"This flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law and of the declared truce was attested by members of the French embassy, who documented the incident", the text states.
"Faced with this cowardly attack, and to preserve the safety of French citizens, the Rapid Support Forces had to bring the convoy back to its starting point."
On the other hand,
"a member of the Egyptian embassy" in Khartoum was "shot by a gunshot"
: this was disclosed in a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, without providing other indications but suggesting that the diplomat is was only injured and that the injury occurred in the Sudanese capital.
Egypt, which borders Sudan, supports the Sudanese army and is one of the countries under observation due to the risk of its involvement in the conflict.
The head of the Sudanese Armed Forces,
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reiterated that "all airports in Sudan are under military control, with the exception of the airports of Khartoum and Nyala"
, underlining that "I will continue to defend the unity of the country": the broadcaster al-Hadath wrote on Twitter, broadcasting an audio with statements by al-Burhan that follow others made yesterday about his almost total control of Sudanese airports.
"Dear compatriots, with our Ministry of Defense we are working on
a window of opportunity to leave Khartoum by air,
which could take place today, Sunday 23 April. The meeting point will be by 12.00 at the residence of the Ambassador of Italy": according to what was learned in Khartoum, this is the text of a message sent by the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina to the Italians trapped in the Sudanese capital by the fighting between the army and the paramilitaries.
"Our compatriots in Sudan were all contacted, even during the night, by the crisis unit of the ministry. They were called one by one: they are all well and will reach our embassy. I cannot tell you more for security reasons" .
Thus the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani arriving at the Salone del Mobile in Milan.
The
United States
has completed the evacuation of staff from its embassy in Sudan.
The American media reported it, quoting some sources, according to which the families of the embassy staff were also evacuated.
The evacuation was conducted via a US military aircraft, but it is still unclear where embassy staff are headed.
With the evacuation, the US embassy in Sudan is, at least temporarily, closed.
The RSF has promised
"full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, providing all the necessary means of protection and guaranteeing their safe return to their countries"
.
The group previously said it was ready to "partially" open "all airports" in Sudan to evacuate foreign nationals.
It was not possible to verify which airports RSF controls.
The fighting has left hundreds dead and thousands injured, while the survivors face shortages of electricity and food.
Yesterday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry announced the "safe arrival" of 91 of its nationals along with others from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso.
As the kingdom's naval forces transported civilians across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting has resumed in Sudan's capital Khartoum after a temporary lull.