"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the outbreak of fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces in Sudan. The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis," the statement read.
Any further escalation threatens to impact the civilian population and exacerbate "the already precarious situation in the country, the statement added. Guterres also called on the UN member countries in the region to support efforts to restore order, adding that he is engaged with the leaders of these nations.
The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan and Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, echoed Guterres, saying he had reached out to the RSF and the Sudanese army "asking them for an immediate cessation of fighting."
African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat voiced concerns over the escalation of violence in Sudan, urging all parties to "immediately end the destruction of the country, the terrorization of its population, and the bloodshed."
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its concerns over the violent developments in the African nation, urging the RSF and the Sudanese army to demonstrate political will and take urgent steps toward a ceasefire.
A similar message was shared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, which urged the sides to "remain committed to the achievements of the transition process, to calmness and dialogue," stressing that national reconciliation is key to solving Sudan's problems.
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok directly addressed the two leaders of the fighting sides, commander-in-chief of the Sudanese military Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and commander of the RSF Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, urging them to stop the violence.
In his video statement, Hamdok stressed that there would be "no winners or losers" in the fighting between the RSF and regular soldiers, urging the international community to facilitate de-escalation.
On Thursday, the RSF reportedly carried out sudden redeployment of its forces near the airport in the northern city of Merowe. The Sudanese army issued a statement saying the redeployment was illegal and not coordinated with the command.
Clashes broke out earlier on Saturday. The RSF claimed control of the presidential palace in Khartoum and the airports in Khartoum and Merowe. The national army denied the Presidential Palace's takeover and said it was bombing RSF bases near Khartoum.