Sudan | The power struggle between two generals pushes the country towards civil war

En Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, shots ring out and columns of black smoke multiply. This Monday marked the third day of confrontations between the regular army and the paramilitaries.

The confrontation had been brewing for weeks between the two most powerful generals in Sudan, the head of the army Abdel Fattah al-Burhanwho is essentially the de facto leader of Sudan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalocommander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Just 18 months earlier, the two jointly staged a coup to derail Sudan’s transition to democracy.

But now they are embroiled in a key dispute. It is mainly about how the Rapid Support Forces will be integrated into the military and who will have ultimate control over fighters and weapons as part of plans to restore civilian rule.

The Rapid Support Forces are Sudan’s main paramilitary group, whose leader, Dagalo, has quickly risen to power. Led by Dagalo, they are made up of troops drawn from the Yajaweid forces – armed horsemen – who fought during the Darfur conflict at the turn of the century. In 2007, part of the troops became part of the country’s intelligence services.

While various official and unofficial estimates put the Sudanese armed forces at around 210-220,000 strong, the RSF is believed to be around 70,000, but better trained and equipped.

It is unclear where the fighting will end. Yes, the confrontation is a deadly setback for the Sudanese.

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