A US diplomatic convoy came under fire in Sudan, but there were no injuries, the US Secretary of State announced today Anthony Blinkenwho spoke of an “irresponsible” and “dangerous” event.

The incident spurred him on Blinken to warn of the consequences which will have corresponding events, speaking with the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagloknown as Hametiand with Sudan’s army chief, Gen Abdel Fatah al Burhanwith whom he had separate telephone communication.

“I can confirm that an American diplomatic convoy came under fire” in Sudan on Monday, Blinken said after the G7 foreign ministers’ summit in Japan. “Our staff are safe and sound,” he added, speaking of an “irresponsible” act.

“The incident is being investigated in order to clarify what exactly happened. According to the preliminary information we have, it was caused by forces linked to the RSF,” Blinken clarified.

“I made it absolutely clear that any threat of attacks against our diplomats is completely unacceptable,” he underlined.

“We are deeply concerned about the overall security environment as it affects civilians, diplomats, aid workers,” the US minister added.

Yesterday, Monday night, the head of European diplomacy Joseph Borel had pointed out that the EU ambassador to Sudan was “attacked” in his home.

Conversations

Daglo said today that he spoke to Blinken on the phone and “discussed pressing matters”.

“We will have another conversation to continue the dialogue and work hand in hand to build a brighter future for our states,” he said in a tweet.

From Saturday, when clashes broke out between the regular army and the RSFDaglo’s whereabouts are unknown.

The US Secretary of State also communicated with Burhan, according to the State Department.

Blinken called on both leaders to agree to a ceasefire and stressed that both have a responsibility to “guarantee the safety and health of civilians, diplomatic personnel and aid workers,” the same source noted.

At least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured in the clashes that broke out on Saturday, according to UN envoy Volker Pertes. In addition, the water and electricity supply in Khartoum has been interrupted.

Smoke blankets the capital, whose residents report airstrikes, artillery fire and gunfire.

The fighting in Khartoum and its neighboring towns of Omdurman and Bahri is the worst to have erupted in decades and threatens to split Sudan into two military factions that have shared power during a rocky political transition.

Burhan heads Sudan’s ruling council, which was set up after the 2021 coup. The SDF is alleged by some sources to be carrying out a plan by elements loyal to Sudan’s former dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was overthrown by his generals in 2019. , amid a popular uprising against his regime.

The head of DTY, General Daglo, is his deputy.

Under an internationally-backed transition plan, the DTY was soon to merge with the military. Clashes erupted over the weekend after tensions between the two sides escalated.

Truce

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are working on a ceasefire proposal, two Egyptian security sources said.

Cairo is the main backer of Sudan’s armed forces, while Daglo has cultivated ties with foreign powers such as the Emirates and Russia.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said yesterday that he is in regular communication with the army and the DTY in order to “encourage them to accept a truce”.

Although the Sudanese army is outnumbered and has an air force, the DTY has a greater presence in the neighborhoods of Khartoum and other cities.

Offices, schools and gas stations in the capital remained closed yesterday, while most hospitals were also out of service.

Bridges linking Khartoum to Omdurman and Bahri have been blocked by armored personnel carriers, while some roads leading out of the capital are inaccessible.