What is the root cause of Sudan’s bloody fighting? [EXPLAINER]

Sudan has been in the midst of fierce fighting, which has left hopes for a peaceful transition to civilian rule in tatters.

POLITICS NIGERIA understands that forces loyal to two rival generals have been vying for control, and as is so often the case, civilians have suffered the most, with dozens killed and hundreds injured.

Doctors and eyewitnesses have reported that medical facilities have been bombarded with military strikes in targeted attacks, and both the Sudanese army and paramilitary have ramped up their clashes for a second week, though they have denied shelling hospitals.

The fighting has been intense, with the capital Khartoum being the epicenter, leaving foreign nationals unable to evacuate. However, in a recent development, the Sudanese army has announced the evacuation of diplomats and nationals from the US, UK, France, and China, will now be possible.

The reason behind the fight in Sudan

The heart of the clashes in Sudan lies with two men: Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

While the pair worked together to topple ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, they have now become bitter enemies.

Reports reveal that tensions arose during negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country’s military as part of plans to restore civilian rule.

The bone of contention is who would be subordinate to who under the new hierarchy, and these hostilities are the culmination of what both parties view as an existential fight for dominance.

Before Bashir was overthrown, he had led the country for nearly three decades. He was toppled from power after popular protests that began over soaring bread prices, and it was during his rule that South Sudan separated from the north.

After Bashir’s ouster, Sudan was ruled by an uneasy alliance between the military and civilian groups, which ended in 2021 when the power-sharing government was dissolved by armed forces.

The Rapid Support Forces are the preeminent paramilitary group in Sudan, and their leader, Dagalo, began the group in a controversial way.

During Sudan’s Darfur conflict in the early 2000s, he was the leader of Sudan’s notorious Janjaweed forces, implicated in human rights violations and atrocities. Following an international outcry, Bashir formalized the group into paramilitary forces known as the Border Intelligence Units, and in 2007, its troops became part of the country’s intelligence services.

In 2013, Bashir created the RSF, a paramilitary group overseen by him and he left it to be led by Dagalo. In a twist, Dagalo turned against Bashir in 2019, and his forces were even credited with opening fire on an anti-Bashir, pro-democracy sit-in in Khartoum, killing at least 118 people.

Currently, Burhan is essentially Sudan’s leader, having been the army’s inspector general.

The military ruler who has laid claim to governance has characterized the RSF offensive as an “attempted coup” and rebellion against the state.

The protracted conflict between these two leaders and their respective organizations has already cost the lives of over 300 individuals, with no end in sight.