A Darfur rebel commander said on Saturday his JEM group had entered Khartoum and was aiming to take power in Sudan. Khartoum was placed under an overnight curfew after fighting in the west of the capital. Heavy gunfire was heard and helicopters and army vehicles headed towards the suburb of Omdurman, witnesses said.
Artillery was heard later, becoming more frequent as the evening wore on. The Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels said they had taken control of Omdurman which lies on the opposite bank of the River Nile from Khartoum. "We are now trying to control Khartoum. God willing we will take power, it's just a matter of time," senior JEM commander Abdel Aziz el-Nur Ashr told Reuters by telephone.
Darfur rebels fought battles with Sudan's army in the North Kordofan province bordering Khartoum on Friday and Saturday, according to a local government official and witnesses. One security source told Reuters 25 cars full of rebels had arrived in the capital after the clashes in North Kordofan.
The army said the curfew was to preserve the safety of the civilians and the situation was under control. The shooting in Omdurman could be heard down the telephone of one resident who telephoned Reuters on Saturday.
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