According to witnesses who spoke to Reuters, heavy gunfire has been heard south of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, following days of tension between the army and a potent paramilitary organisation that has generated fears of an impending showdown.
It was not immediately clear where the shooting was coming from. When the army claimed that recent activities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a potent paramilitary organisation, had occurred without coordination and were unlawful, the breach between the forces came to light on Thursday.
The leaders of the army and RSF informed the mediators that they were prepared to take action to defuse the situation on Friday and early on Saturday.
A conflict between them might lead to protracted unrest in a large nation already afflicted by economic collapse and resurgences of tribal warfare.