Sudan: How did latest battle for power begin?
Roots of current conflict go back to decades-long rule of ex-President Omar al-Bashir who was deposed by military in 2019
ISTANBUL
For a third straight day, Sudan is in the grip of spiraling violence as the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) joust for power.
Nearly 100 have been killed and 1,000 others wounded in clashes that began in the capital Khartoum on Saturday and have since spread to other areas.
Both sides are trading accusations and making claims of strategic advances, while the international community is pushing for an immediate halt to hostilities.
The roots of the current conflict go back to April 2019, when the first signs of trouble started brewing for the decades-long rule of ex-President Omar al-Bashir.
Several months after protests against a crippling economic crisis spread around the country, scores of people began a sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum on Apr. 6.
In a matter of days, al-Bashir – himself a former military officer – was deposed by the army, ending a rule that spanned 30 years.
The overthrow did not end the protests as Sudanese people pressed on with their demand for a civilian government.
In early June of that year, Sudanese security forces launched a violent crackdown on the sit-in by pro-democracy protesters, killing more than 100 people.
1st civil-military transition deal
Two months later, the civilians who supported the uprising signed a deal with the military for a transitional period leading to elections, following which Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan became the head of the Sovereign Council and ex-UN official Abdalla Hamdok was sworn in as prime minister.
The deal had the backing of some rebel groups, while others desisted from becoming signatories.
In October, a US-brokered deal saw Sudan agree to normalize relations with Israel, and in return, Washington promised to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Just over a year later in October 2021, Hamdok and several other government officials were detained as tensions grew between the civilians and military, while there was another botched coup attempt.
Al-Burhan declared that the civilian government had been dissolved, only to strike an agreement with Hamdok less than a month later for his return as prime minister.
Hamdok would hold the office for less than two months, resigning in January 2022 and airing grievances that the partnership with the military had failed to lead to a transition to civilian rule.
Another transition agreement
In December 2022, civilian groups and the military agreed on a two-year transition period and the formation of a civilian-led government.
A final agreement was due to be signed on April 1 this year but was postponed owing to lingering disputes.
It was rescheduled for April 6, with al-Burhan saying that all parties were engaged in consultations for a deal.
A major bone of contention was the status of the RSF, which evolved from a feared militia and was made a formal force during al-Bashir’s rule.
It is commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known by his nickname Hemedti, who is also the deputy head of the Sovereign Council and worked with al-Burhan to oust al-Bashir in 2019.
However, he remains opposed to a key reform proposed in the December 2022 transition deal: complete integration of the RSF in the army.
With no compromise in sight, Hemedti moved his RSF forces to the city of Merowe, home to Sudan’s largest dam, second-biggest civilian airport, and a military base housing Egyptian aircraft.
The army warned the RSF against what it said were “illegal” movements, saying they could lead to all-out confrontation.
Fighting did eventually erupt over the weekend, starting in the capital Khartoum and spreading to other areas.
With clashes ongoing and casualties mounting, the ramifications of Sudan’s latest conflict are yet to be determined, leaving the country in limbo once again.
