After several months of calm, clashes sparked again on Saturday and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and army forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, lined up against each other for control of the country. The clashes broke out in an air base in the south of the capital Khartoum. Soon, the fighting spread across the capital, including the army headquarters, airport, and the presidential palace.
Spokesman to the army said that rebels penetrated the capital’s airport and opened fire at civilian vehicles and in response “we destroyed over 80 of the militants’ vehicles.”
The army used fighter jets to bomb the RSF positions to push them back. Pictures and videos from Khartoum circulating on social media show that fire and explosion can be seen everywhere and the capital looks like a war-torn city. According to reports, more than 100 people have been killed and some others have been injured in these clashes. Residents of the capital have said that they have never seen such scenes as gunshots are heard from all sides.
Army tanks and heavy military vehicles blocked the roads leading to the presidential palace in central Khartoum to prevent a possible attack by the RSF. Two passenger planes were burnt in Khartoum airport due to clashes and the operation of the airport has been stopped. Heavy exchange of fire have also been reported around the presidential palace and the RSF claimed it gained its control. Although the head of Sudan’s military council has been moved to safety, the seizure of the presidential palace could demoralize the army and force it to retreat and pave the way for RSF power gain.
Both sides claim control
Since the beginning, psychological warfare was waged by both sides, and each claimed being in control of military and civil sites. In a statement, the militants claimed control of the presidential palace, diplomatic zone, and Khartoum, Merowe, and Al-Abyadh airports. On the opposite side, the army stated that no airport, including Merowe, fell to the militants and the claims were part of a psychological warfare.
The RSF said that they seized arms warehouses in Al-Muhandisin neighborhood in Omdurman and closed all the roads to the south of the capital. They also claimed control of national radio and television service. They further said they hold the headquarters of the army in Darfur and aviation navigation offices across the country.
The RSF also announced that they took control of a number of military centers in Darfur’s capital Al Fashir, including the airport, in the west of the capital. Meanwhile, clashes broke out between the army and the rebel forces in the area of the airport in Nyala in south Darfur in Western Sudan. Although each of the involved parties claim to have taken control of vital centers and defeated the other side, it is still not clear who has the lead.
What has caused the clashes?
A meeting was scheduled between al-Burhan and Dagalo on Saturday, but clashes started before this bilateral. The fighting started in the southern regions of Khartoum and immediately spread to different provinces and are ongoing between the two sides. The army said in a statement on Saturday that the fighting began after the RSF attempted to attack the regular forces in the southern part of the capital. The army declared the militias a “rebel force” and described the militants’ claims as “lies”.
A source in the army announced the issuance of a decree to disband the RSF and end the mission of all army officers and troops in it following the current events in this country. A statement from the general staff of the army stated that there will be no talks or negotiations with the opposite side unless they stop their illegal actions.
The clashes began as tensions between the army and the RSF escalated in recent months and the signing of an internationally-backed agreement with political parties to revive the country’s democratic transition has been delayed. The fighting between the army and the militias came days after the army warned that Sudan was at a dangerous juncture.
The country has been struggling with a political and security crisis since April 2019, when the army removed the long-serving President Omar al-Bashir, and despite the demand of the people and political leaders to transfer power to civilians, al-Burhan has shown no will for a transition process. Political tensions escalated after the military leader declared a state of emergency in October 2021 and dissolved the ruling council and government. Since then, the country has seen many street protests, where hundreds of people have been killed and injured by the coup government. Since the coup plotters assumed the power, billions of dollars in international aids have been suspended, debt has increased, and the economic crisis has deepened in this country. Poverty and hunger are spreading and living standards for many are declining.
Trading accusations of starting the conflict
As the clashes intensified, the warring sides accused each other of starting the fighting in a bid to skip home and foreign pressures.
“We did not start the aggression and what happened are attacks by rebel forces,” the army asserted in a statement, adding: “The members of the army are not looking for personal interests and will continue their national responsibility.... We will deal with any irresponsible attempt and we regret that the country has reached this stage because of the greed of rebel commanders.... We do not envision any future for the country except in the shadow of the unified army.”
Al-Burhan claimed that the RSF were the side to start the battle by attacking the army headquarters and he was surprised by the attack of these forces on his home. He went on that the rebels penetrated the capital’s airport through the special ‘Hajj and Umrah hall’ and set fire to a number of army planes and the army forces clashed with them in reaction. He emphasized that all administrative centers, including the headquarters of the army and armed forces and the presidential palace, were under the control of the army. Al-Burhan threatened to recall army forces from all regions of Sudan to Khartoum if the clashes continued.
The RSF, whose number according to the analysts reaches 100,000, claimed they were attacked first as the army opened fire on one of their encircled bases with heavy weaponry.
“We declared in the previous statement that we have no enmity with the army. We are sorry to fight against the children of our people, but a criminal forced us to do so. Our conditions are good and we are in control of all our headquarters. They have a criminal plan and are looking to return to the coup,” Dagalo was quoted as saying.
He continued: “We call the honorable people in the armed forces to join us. This battle will end in the coming days. Our forces had to get involved in the fighting. What is going on is a price of democracy. The Rapid Support Forces engaged in battle and pushed to control Khartoum and Merowe airports. We act for democracy and for people of Sudan. I told the four-party committee and the mediatory group that al-Burhan is a liar and will destroy Sudan. We call on the army to join people. We will continue to chase al-Burhan and hand him over to justice.”
He further claimed that a number of army forces in other parts of the country joined his forces. But army chief rejected these claims, adding that a number of retired offices rejoined the army to help fight the rebels.
The gaps between the two sides appeared when the army on Thursday said that the recent RSF actions in Merowe airport were “illegal.”
Four years ago, the RSF together with the army overthrew al-Bashir, and therefore they lay claims to power. They began redeploying units in Khartoum and elsewhere amid talks last month about merging with the military under a transition plan leading to new elections. This merger was a key condition of the unsigned transition agreement. The reason for the unfolding fighting is said to be the slow progress in the power transition to the civilians.
The RSF managed to recruit forces in all parts of the country since al-Burhan removed interim Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and seized the whole power.
With the intensification of the tensions, the UN and officials of various countries called on both sides to show self-restraint and stop fighting.
Dim outlook for Sudan
Dagalo and al-Burhan shared leadership of the coup that removed al-Bashir government. However, they essentially conflicted over administration of the country under interim government and the political future, and now they are fighting. This very likely means that the country is not to see calm. The country is deeply divided due to the two leaders’ severe conflict of views and there are no clear prospects for exit from this fourth-year crisis.
The clashes come as following December protests, the military and civil leaders signed an agreement to end the political stalemate. In this agreement, a 2-year transitional period was agreed upon for the appointment of a civilian prime minister, but from the provisions of this agreement, it can be understood that the final decision-makers will be the coup leaders who will control everything behind the scenes, and appointment of a civilian prime minister is just for deception of public.
At that time, al-Burhan promised the military will exit the political process and support a democratic transition until general elections are held. But after more than four months, no efforts have been made to implement the terms of the agreement. This agreement left ambiguous security sector reforms for further dialogue, and this can prove dangerous for Sudan. The ongoing clashes are caused by this ambiguity to which no solution has been found.
The RSF-army clashes have taken place four months after the political agreements and as long as no solution is found, further future clashes are likely, with people being the main side to pay the price. Experience tells us that as long as the military holds the power, stability and power transition are inaccessible. Given the authoritarian character al-Burhan has shown of himself over the past four years, it seems that he himself practically started the fighting in order to impose a curfew under the excuse of insecurity. This is a good opportunity for him to imply to the political leaders that Sudan needs a powerful leader like him to counter any action against the government and also to suspend the recent political deals.
Given the wide-ranging American, Israeli, and Arab interventions in
this crisis, the clashes in Sudan are triggering concerns that the
country can move to a fate like that of Libya.
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