Sudan: Power Struggles Turn Into Violent Conflict
In a recent turn of events in Sudan, the power struggles between the country’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, erupted into violent conflict. The conflict has seen air strikes, tanks on the streets, artillery fire, and heavy gunfire in crowded neighbourhoods in Khartoum and other cities across Sudan.
The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors has reported that since the violence began on Saturday, 97 civilians have lost their lives, and many others could not reach hospitals due to difficulties in movement amid the fighting. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned that several of Khartoum’s nine hospitals receiving injured civilians have run out of blood, transfusion equipment, intravenous fluids, and other vital supplies.
The Conflict: Background and Current Situation
The conflict broke out after disagreements between Burhan and Daglo over the planned integration of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army. The RSF, a powerful paramilitary force, was created under former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir in 2013, emerging from the Janjaweed militia.
The fighting has forced terrified Sudanese civilians to shelter in their homes with fears of a prolonged conflict that could plunge the country into deeper chaos. Appeals to end the fighting have come from across the region and the globe, including the African Union, Arab League, and East African bloc IGAD. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that an escalation in the fighting would “further aggravate the already precarious humanitarian situation”.
The Way Forward: Calls for Ceasefire
Despite the wide calls for a ceasefire, the two generals have appeared in no mood for talks, with each one calling the other “criminal.” On Sunday afternoon, the two sides agreed to a UN proposal to open safe passage to evacuate the wounded, but the heavy gunfire did not stop. Medics have repeatedly pleaded for safe corridors for ambulances and a ceasefire to treat the victims, because the streets remain too dangerous for transporting casualties to hospital.
While Sudan has endured decades of multiple bitter civil wars, coups, and rebellions, Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair said the level of fighting inside the capital was “unprecedented.” Khair said RSF forces had “strategically” previously set up bases in “densely populated areas” so that the “high civilian toll would be a deterrent” in case of conflict. The fighting has caused immense harm to the Sudanese civilians and derailed the country’s transition to civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of Bashir.
SOURCE: http://FRANCE 24
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