Kenya coat of arms. | Courtesy

Kenya reportedly closed its diplomatic mission in the Sudanese capital Khartoum amid the ongoing fighting between powerful rival military forces.

Korir Singoei, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, said the mission had remained open to support the evacuation of Kenyan citizens, but was now closed as it had come under threat from the fighting.

“We continue to receive disturbing news of the targeting of diplomatic officials by armed groups in Khartoum, Sudan. The Kenya Mission in Khartoum which had remained open to facilitate evacuation of any Kenyans still in the country is now closed,” Singoei said in a tweet.

Fighting intensified in the Sudanese capital and has escalated to new areas in the restive Darfur region with dozens reportedly killed.

Black smoke billowed above the capital on Sunday after the truce between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) expired hours earlier, live television footage showed.

The fighting has been described by analysts as a “real hell and “complete lawlessness”.

Fighting in the capital has led to widespread damage and looting, a collapse in health services, power and water cuts, and dwindling food supplies.