Violent clashes broke out on Saturday between the army and paramilitaries in Sudan, resulting in the deaths of at least three civilians. The rivalry between the two generals who staged the 2021 coup d’état escalated into violence. Explosions and heavy gunfire shook the capital, Khartoum. Shortly afterward, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as “Hemedti,” announced that they had taken over the international airport and the presidential palace. They urged the population and soldiers to rise up against the army.
Meanwhile, the regular army, led by General Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, who has been Sudan’s de facto leader since the October 25, 2021, coup, stated that it had mobilized its air force against “the enemy.” The army denied that the RSF had taken over the international airport, claiming that some paramilitaries had “infiltrated and set fire to civilian planes, including one belonging to Saudi Airlines.” This incident was confirmed by Riyadh.
Witnesses reported that both sides were also confronting each other outside the state media headquarters. The UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, called on both sides to “immediately” cease fighting, as did the African Union and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who expressed deep concern about the situation.
During the coup two years ago, Hemedti and Burhan joined forces to remove civilians from power. However, their disagreements grew over time, leading to violence. Hemedti, who recently sided with civilians and against the military in political negotiations, referred to his former ally and current rival as a “criminal who has destroyed the country.” He told Al-Jazeera that his men “will not stop until they take control of all military bases.”
The RSF, which comprises former militiamen from the Darfur war, claimed that they were “surprised in the morning by the arrival of a large contingent of the army that besieged their camp in Soba,” in southern Khartoum. The regular army denounced the RSF’s “lies” and accused them of initiating hostilities.
The dispute between the two sides centers mainly on the future of the paramilitaries and their integration into the armed forces. Although the army does not reject their integration, it wants to impose its terms and limit their incorporation over time. General Daglo, on the other hand, demands broad inclusion, particularly a place for him on the General Staff. This disagreement is hindering the democratic transition demanded by the international community to resume its aid to Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries.