Chad closes borders with Sudan amid armed clashes

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) - Chad on Saturday closed its borders with Sudan as clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

"Chad, while securing its borders, has decided to close the border with Sudan until further notice," Communication Minister Aziz Mahamat Saleh said.

"This conjecture of unrest" has prompted the government of Chad, a country that borders Sudan, to take "appropriate measures through its diplomatic and consular services to ensure the safety of its citizens in Sudan," Mahamat Saleh added.

The Chadian authorities also called for "calm, serenity and a cessation of hostilities" while inviting "the belligerents to dialogue."

Fighting broke out early Saturday between the Sudanese army and RSF fighters in Khartoum, with gunfire and bombs heard near the army headquarters and presidential palace, according to an Anadolu reporter in Khartoum.

While the RSF accused the army of attacking its forces south of Khartoum with light and heavy weapons, the military said the paramilitary force was “spreading lies” and declared it a “rebel” group.

The dispute between the two sides came to the surface on Thursday when the army said recent movements by the RSF had happened without coordination and were illegal, with their rift centering around a proposed transition to civilian rule.

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.

Last December, Sudan’s military and political forces signed a framework agreement to resolve the months-long crisis.

The signing of the final agreement was scheduled to take place on April 6, but was delayed. No date has been announced for the signing of the deal.

Sudan’s transitional period which started in August 2019 was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.