Sudan crisis: Explainer
SUDAN: At war with itself
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Who are the main players?
Violence flared up in a power struggle between the two main factions of Sudan’s military authority.
The Sudanese armed forces are broadly loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the country’s military ruler, while the militia forces known as Rapid Support Forces (RSF) follow the former warlord Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
Former Sudanese ruler, Omar al-Bashir had built up a network of security forces that he reportedly deliberately set against one another. Efforts to set up a civilian-led government failed after Omar al-Bashir’s ousting, resulting in tensions building between armed groupings.
READ MORE: SUDAN – DEADLY CLASHES AS POWER STRUGGLE GRIPS COUNTRY
Omar al-Bashir and the formation of militias
The RSF was founded by Bashir to quell unrest in the Darfur region that began over 20 years ago. The RSF were also known by the name of Janjaweed.
In 2013, Bashir transformed the Janjaweed into a semi-organised paramilitary force and gave their leaders military ranks before deploying them to crush a rebellion in South Darfur and then dispatching many to fight in the war in Yemen, and later Libya.
The RSF, led by Hemedti, and the regular military forces under Burhan cooperated to oust Bashir in 2019.
A power-sharing deal with the civilians to brign about a democratic transition was interrupted by a coup in October 2021.
The coup resulted in the military forces once again taking control of the country. Hemedti backed a new plan for a transition, putting it in direct political conflict with Burhan.
Hemedti is said to have huge wealth that originates from the export of gold. He commands tens of thousands of battle hardened veterans. He is said to be dissatisfied with his status as a deputy in the Sudanese ruling council.
Civilian demands of a military regime
The civilian demand for oversight of the military and integration of the RSF into the regular armed forces is a divisive point of contention. Added to this, sustained calls by civilians for the handover of lucrative military interests in trade, agriculture and other industries that have been subject to military control have added to the tensions.
Another civilian demand is accountability for alleged human rights abuses and war crimes allegedly perpetrated by various military groupings since 2003, up until and beyond the killings of pro-democracy protestors in 2019, in addition to the those killed in protests since the 2021 coup.
Regional interests
Sudan is in a volatile region bordering the Red Sea, the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa. It has a strategic location as well as agricultural wealth that serves as a regional breadbasket. It’s geostrategic location as well as its geopolitical value complicates the chances of a transition to a democratic civilian government.
Sudan’s neighbouring countries have been severely affected by political upheavals and ongoing internal and regional conflict. Its relationship with Ethiopia in particular has been complicated by territorial border disputes in the agriculturally rich regions.
