As the North African nation witnesses an escalation of the intra-political tensions, Sputnik outlines the major developments so far, and gives some background information on the situation, describing how the events unfolded.
Earlier this week, the RSF, a paramilitary unit of the Sudanese Army led by deputy head of Sudan's Sovereign Council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemetti, started redeploying its units to Khartoum and some other cities across the country.
This prompted the Sudanese Army to issue a statement on Thursday saying that the RSF's deployment in Khartoum and other cities was illegal and had taken place without coordination with the armed forces.
According to media reports, the Sudanese Army also deployed units in Merowe "in case of a lack of security." It was noted that the army had given the RSF a certain amount of time to vacate the city. However, the paramilitary group responded to the request, saying that its presence in Merowe was part of its tasks and duties.
The already tense situation was aggravated on Saturday, when the RSF announced that it had taken control of the Khartoum and Merowe airports, inflicting "heavy losses" on army troops. Later, the RSF stated that they had managed to capture the Republican Palace, the country's presidential residence.
The Sudanese Army, for its part, said that the RSF did not manage to take over the airport of Merowe and other objects, arguing that "it is a rumor and a kind of psychological warfare."
It was highlighted that the army had begun operations aimed at "countering the attempts of the Rapid Support Forces to seize strategic objects, including the Republican Palace, the General Command and the headquarters of the Sovereignty Council."
In particular, the Sudanese Air Force conducted airstrikes against RSF bases near Khartoum, destroying bases in Taiba and Soba, and "pursuing fleeing members of the RSF, who were trying to hide among civilians." According to a statement from the army, it is currently conducting an operation to stop "the irresponsible actions of the rebel Rapid Support Forces."
Later, the country's military announced that it had taken control of the command of the RSF’s special forces "without resistance from its members, who declared their unwillingness to use them to achieve the personal goals and aspirations of their leadership." It also noted that the army controls the RSF camps in Merowe and Omdurman.
The country's military leader Abdul Fattah al-Burhan commented on the situation, saying that it is now under the control of the army. The chairman of the Sovereign Council of Sudan and Armed Forces commander told the media that the ongoing armed conflict was started by the RSF, which had attacked the national army.
Following the escalation of the situation, several countries voiced concerns over the developments in the North African nation. The UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, addressed the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Army, urging them "to stop the fighting immediately," and called for the restoration of peace in the country. The Russian Foreign Ministry, for its part, also called on the parties to the hostilities taking place in Khartoum for restraint and a ceasefire.
The Forces for Freedom and Change, Sudan's leading opposition movement, last week announced that the signing of the final political agreement providing for the establishment of a transitional civilian authority in Sudan had been postponed due to a lack of consensus between the military parties.
According to the Sudanese media, there were major contradictions between the Sudanese Army, led by the head of the country's Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, headed by Burhan's deputy, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The parties couldn't agree on the process of integrating the RSF into the regular army.
In October 2021, the Sudanese Army under Burhan overthrew the government in a military coup, declaring a state of emergency and establishing a transitional sovereign council under his leadership.
In December 2022, the Sudanese military and opposition movements signed a framework agreement providing for the establishment of a transitional civilian authority. The agreement provides for the appointment of a prime minister, the adoption of an interim constitution and a subsequent two-year transitional period, followed by a general election. The head of the Sovereign Council of Sudan, following the signing of an agreement with the opposition, said that the military would not participate in the political life of the country.