Africa

The conflict between Sudan’s rival military factions is triggering massive population displacements that are stressing the region’s already fragile coping systems.

Highlights

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) commanded by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has thrown into turmoil a region that was already straining under record levels of humanitarian stresses. Even prior to the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, there were more than 13 million people in Sudan and its 7 neighbors who were refugees or internally displaced (IDP). More than 40 million people in these countries were facing acute food insecurity. Resources to assist these populations will now be even further stretched.

Amid protracted conflict in Sudan, the United States should work to lower the temperature amongst external actors, and support Sudanese citizens, who remain steadfast in their aspirations for a civilian-led government.

Three days of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) resulted in over 200 casualties, hundreds of others wounded and assaulted and extensive destruction of an already collapsed infrastructure. It is time to wake up from the trance that affected everyone post the 2021 coup and face the reality. There is no pro-democracy or pro-transition side among the parties in this conflict. It is a fight between two partners in one crime, the 25 October 2021 coup, over the spoils of their crime. This is a war between two evils who both don’t have the interest of this country in their hearts.

The governor of Darfur, leader of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), has called on citizens to defend their property against looting and theft following the outbreak of armed conflict between the government army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan’s Defence Minister, Yassin Ibrahim Yassin, called on Friday to mobilise retired officers and soldiers to support the army in its ongoing conflict against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which started 41 days ago.

The Head of the Sovereign Council Sudanese Army Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has suspended Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq over criticism of his failure to fulfil his duties following the armed conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Saudi Arabia and the US said both warring Sudanese sides violated the short-term ceasefire, according to a joint statement Sunday released evening.

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to and signed a seven-day agreement on a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements on May 20 in Jeddah.

In an interview with Le Figaro on 29 December 2022, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune deplored the deployment of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries to his country’s neighbour, Mali.

Tebboune was quoted as saying that the money that the Malian government spent on contracting Russian mercenaries should have been placed into the development of the country and the Sahel region.

Ongoing violence between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raised concerns about the possible ramifications for Libya, both politically and in terms of the country’s fragile security situation.

Since 15 April, hundreds of people in Sudan have been killed while more than 4,000 have been injured due to fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

After being ruled for decades by Omar al Bashir, pro-democracy protests in 2019 created a democratic opening that was eventually filled by military strongmen.