The ministers called for a halt to military escalation and a return to a framework agreement between civilian political forces and the military.

Saudi Arabia also said it was deeply concerned about the clashes in Sudan, calling on those involved to choose dialogue over conflict, in a statement released by its foreign ministry.

The Saudi embassy in Khartoum advised its citizens to stay at home and to communicate with it in case of emergency.

In a tweet posted on Saturday, foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “We call on the brothers in Sudan to quickly stop military operations, exercise maximum restraint, avoid escalation, and give priority to the interest of the brotherly Sudanese people by preserving their gains and capabilities, and to return to the framework agreement that aims to reach a political declaration that achieves security, stability and prosperity for Sudan and its brotherly people.”

The UAE called all parties in Sudan to exercise restraint, de-escalate and work toward ending the crisis through dialogue, the state news agency reported.

The agency said that the UAE Embassy in Khartoum was following “with great concern the developments in Sudan and has reaffirmed the UAE’s position on the importance of de-escalation, and working toward finding a peaceful solution to the crisis between the concerned parties.”

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned the use of arms in Sudan and called for an immediate ceasefire to the ongoing escalation.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement calling on all Sudanese parties to exercise maximum restraint.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s military said it was closely following the situation in Sudan and was coordinating with the relevant Sudanese authorities to guarantee the safety of Egyptian forces, army spokesman Col. Gharib Abdel Hafez said on Saturday.

His statement came as Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shared an unverified video that they said showed Egyptian troops who had “surrendered” to them in Merowe, northern Sudan, in the wake of clashes between the group and the Sudanese army.

The Tunisian foreign ministry called on the Sudanese parties to show the “highest degree of restraint,” in a statement.

Fierce clashes between Sudan’s military and the country’s powerful paramilitary force erupted Saturday in the capital and elsewhere in the African nation, raising fears of a wider conflict in the chaos-stricken nation.

In Khartoum, the sound of heavy firing could be heard in a number of areas, including the city center and the neighborhood of Bahri.