Sudan has been plunged into a state of unrest as clashes between the military and paramilitary group have resulted in the deaths of at least 61 civilians. The tensions have been escalating in recent weeks, and the situation on the ground remains volatile. The violence has sparked international concern, and calls are mounting for an end to the bloodshed. In this article, we will delve deeper into the conflict and provide insight into the factors driving the unrest in Sudan.
The Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSG), a powerful paramilitary group, have been engaged in fierce fighting for the control of Sudan for the past two days. Despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire, both groups appear unwilling to back down. The clashes, which broke out after months of increased tensions between the two factions, have led to the deaths of at least 61 civilians, including three UN employees. According to the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, there have been dozens of additional deaths among rival forces. More than 670 people have been wounded, including both civilians and fighters. The fighting has also spread to the western Darfur region, where tens of thousands of people live in camps for displaced persons after years of genocidal civil war.
The military and the RSG are both claiming control of strategic locations in Khartoum and other parts of the country, although these claims cannot be independently verified. Both sides have indicated that they are unwilling to negotiate. The military has called for the dismantling of the RSG, which it has labelled as a “rebellious militia.” The head of the RSG, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has ruled out negotiations and has called on the military to surrender.
Diplomatic pressure to end the violence is mounting, with top diplomats including the US Secretary of State, the UN Secretary-General, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, the head of the Arab League, and the head of the African Union Commission all urging the opposing factions to stop fighting. Members of the UN Security Council and Arab states with stakes in Sudan, including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have made similar appeals. The US Secretary of State has consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and the parties have agreed that it is essential to end hostilities immediately without conditions.
The recent tensions between the two factions stem from a disagreement over how the RSG should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process, which is a key condition of Sudan’s unsigned transition agreement with political groups. Pro-democracy activists have accused Burhan and Dagalo of abusing protesters across the country over the past four years, including the deadly break-up of a protest camp outside the military’s headquarters in Khartoum in June 2019 that killed more than 120 protesters. Many groups have called for holding them accountable. The RSG has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict.
Sudan, a country at the crossroads of the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, has a history of military coups and civil conflicts since it gained independence in the 1950s. The country has borders with six African nations and a strategic coastline on the Red Sea. A decade-old civil conflict resulted in the secession of South Sudan in 2011. The clashes will increase hardship in Sudan, where the UN says some 16 million people – or one-third of the population – already depend on humanitarian assistance.
