Doha has long called for peace and stability in Sudan, with its envoy in Khartoum holding regular meetings with Sudanese officials.

Qatar has called on all sides in Sudan to “immediately” half the fighting in the country on Saturday, amid the latest flare up between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum.

“The State of Qatar expresses its deep concern about the developments in the situation in Khartoum and Meroe in the sisterly Republic of Sudan, and calls on all parties to stop the fighting immediately,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement also called on all parties to “exercise maximum restraint, resort to the voice of reason, give priority to the public interest and spare civilians the consequences of the fighting.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses Qatar’s aspiration for all parties to pursue dialogue and peaceful ways to overcome differences,” the statement added.

Simmering tensions

Fighting erupted in Khartoum on Saturday following simmering tensions between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary, led by  former militia leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.

The RSF suspended all flights from the Khartoum International Airport as reports point to the paramilitary capturing Meroe’s airport.

Both sides have exchanged blame over the latest escalations, which could significantly hinder the political process in Sudan and efforts aimed at establishing civilian rule. 

Plumes of smoke and heavy gunfire are heard across the Sudanese capital, raising fear over further escalations. It has not been confirmed whether there are any casualties, though Reuters reported that there are injuries among civilians.

The RSF said that it seized the presidential palace as well as the Khartoum International Airport.

Many have pointed to RSF’s moves as a coup attempt, similar to the one that took place in 2021.

At the time, the junta placed Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on house arrest along with various other officials before releasing them.

In August 2019, four months into the Sudanese uprising, military leaders signed a power-sharing agreement with the FFC, which formed a Sovereign Council. The declaration set late 2023 as the deadline for elections to elect a civilian administration.

The uprising toppled Sudan’s longtime President Omar Al-Bashir.

Calls for stability

Sudan has been grappling with a fragile path to democratic rule since the military’s overthrow of Bashir, with the joint civilian and military government struggling to control a dire economic and political situation in the country.

In December last year, Sudanese political parties and military signed a deal that aimed to pave the way for a two-year civilian transition period. 

Qatar has long called for peace and stability in Sudan, with its envoy in Khartoum holding regular meetings with Sudanese officials while expressing his country’s willingness to contribute to the success of the transitional period.

In 2020, the Gulf state participated in the final signing ceremony of the peace agreement between the transitional government of Sudan and the Sudanese Armed Movements.