FAR paramilitaries shoot at US diplomatic convoy after it came under attack amidst conflict in Sudan

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that. a U.S. diplomatic convoy was attacked in Sudan, with no injuries to its members, by the paramilitary militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

All members are “safe” after a “reckless and irresponsible” incident involving vehicles with diplomatic license plates, said Blinken, who also said that his militias fired at flags American flags of the convoy.

Blinken confirmed these details of the incident in Sudan when asked about it at a press conference held Tuesday in Karuizawa, Japan, at the end of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting.

“All threats involving our diplomats have been resolved,” said Blinken, who also avoided giving further details about an incident “which is still under investigation to try to determine what exactly happened.” Blinken explained that he spoke by phone with FAR and SAF officials, asking them to “the cessation of all hostilities immediately and without setting any preconditions.”

Early reports indicate that the attack was the responsibility of FAR-associated forces, according to Blinken, who in the last few hours had separately contacted the commanders of the two armies involved in the conflict in Sudan to convey to them that “any such attack is totally unacceptable“.

Blinken explained that he spoke on the phone with FAR and SAF officials, asking them to “the cessation of all hostilities immediately and without setting any preconditions.”

This call coincides with another included in the joint statement adopted Tuesday by the G7 foreign ministers, and which. calls for a cease-fire and a return to dialogue in Sudan on the same terms.

More than 180 civilians have been killed and more than 1,800 have been wounded during the three days of fighting in Sudan, according to data from the UN special envoy in the African country, Volker Perthes.

The clashes follow weeks of tensions between the Army and FAR over the reform of the security forces during negotiations for a new transitional government.

Both military forces were responsible for jointly overthrowing the government Sudan’s transitional government in October 2021.