The African Union Peace and Security Council also held an emergency session on Sunday and called for an end to the fighting. Security Council calling to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and return to negotiations. International concern about this escalating situation even managed to override global competition between the United States and China and tensions over the war in Ukraine, with the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement and issued calls to al-Burhan and Hemetti. There has been a resounding and quick mobilization by countries in the region and globally calling to halt the violence.Ī joint statement from the “Quad for Sudan” (the United States, the U.K., the UAE and Saudi Arabia) echoed the calls for calm made by each country individually. Swift International and Regional Reactions Media reports already confirm that the violence has spread to other areas of Sudan, including Kassala, Gedaref and Port Sudan in the East and Darfur in the West. This does not change the risk of civilian casualties or alter the chances that a war spreads across the country. The RSF is not a “rebel” group - it’s recognized by law and was developed, tolerated and sustained as an instrument of state power, making the situation much more complicated. Today, the SAF is fighting a paramilitary force that was created by the Bashir regime. During previous civil wars in Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan (Nuba Mountains), the Sudanese government or paramilitary groups have fought against armed resistance movements. The fighting is different than what Sudan has experienced in the past. The other sticking point is the command structure and the relationship between al-Burhan and Hemetti in that structure. Conversely, elements in the SAF expressed fears that the proposed reforms could hollow out the military and leave it open for the RSF to dominate. It appears that he also argued to maintain his own paramilitary as a guarantee through the elections. The timing and sequencing of the integration of the RSF forces in the SAF has been one of the main sticking points, as Hemetti argued that reforms for a more inclusive, professional military are needed before his forces integrate. Both appear to have lost confidence in the political process, shifting instead to the logic of war and violence.Īt its foundation, the fighting is a struggle over power in the security sector and the exercise of power in the state. In short, both al-Burhan and Hemetti were anticipating and gearing up for a confrontation. And just days before the clashes in the capital, the RSF had deployed to Marowe, a town in the northern part of the country, and fighting had taken place there. But in the weeks before, the RSF had deployed large numbers of armed men into Khartoum, and the SAF had deployed tanks and heavy weapons. Both Sides Were Prepared for Confrontationīoth al-Burhan and Hemetti are trading accusations about who started the clashes in Khartoum. But even with successful mediation, this outbreak of violence threatens to weaken Sudan’s already shaky stability - and could undermine peace in the broader Horn of Africa region as well. There is still a chance to prevent the situation from escalating further. Many countries in the region, as well as major powers like the United States, have called for an end to hostilities, and efforts to secure a cease-fire are ongoing. While immediate details have been difficult to discern, it’s clear the two sides are battling for control of the country’s major institutions, as reports indicate much of the fighting has centered around locations such as the presidential palace, SAF’s military headquarters and Khartoum’s airport. Negotiations to resolve the issues stalled, and tensions quickly rose between al-Burhan and Hemetti in the weeks leading up to the current violence. But after the SAF, RSF and civilian political leaders agreed to a new framework for a democratic transition in December, questions emerged over how the RSF would be integrated into the SAF, as well as over who would assume leadership of the newly consolidated military. The two leaders had previously worked together, toppling the al-Bashir regime in 2019 and orchestrating a military coup in October 2021 that removed the civilian prime minister and cabinet and suspended the constitution. While it’s unclear who initiated the fighting, the situation brings the de-facto leader of Sudan, the SAF’s General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, into direct confrontation with his deputy, the RSF’s General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also referred to as “Hemetti.” Smoke rises following a bombing in the Al-Tayif neighbourhood of Khartoum, Sudan (UNSDG: Open Source) Since Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been raging in the capital Khartoum and in other strategic areas throughout the country.
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