Violent clashes between Sudan’s regular army and paramilitaries continued for a third day in the capital city of Khartoum, with a death toll of nearly 100 civilians, according to the doctors’ union. The violence began on Saturday following power struggles between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The two sides have traded blame over who started the fighting, and fighting has also occurred in other parts of the country. The violence has prompted international calls for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue. The conflict could plunge the country into deeper chaos, derailing hopes for a return to civilian rule.
Sudan has experienced political instability and violence in recent years, including a civil war in the Darfur region, which began in 2003 and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people. In April 2019, protests erupted across Sudan, leading to the overthrow of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.
Following Bashir’s ouster, a transitional military council took control of the country, but this was met with widespread protests and demands for civilian rule. In August 2019, a power-sharing deal was reached between the military and civilian leaders, with a civilian-led government installed in September 2019.
However, tensions have continued to simmer between the military and civilian factions, with disagreements over the pace of reform and control of key government institutions. In October 2021, the military seized power in a coup, deposing the civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and reinstating military rule. This has led to widespread protests and international condemnation, with calls for a return to civilian rule and an end to the violence.
The current domestic fighting in Sudan between the regular army and paramilitaries is related to power struggles between the army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting erupted after disagreements between Burhan and Daglo over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, which is a key condition for a final deal aimed at ending the crisis following the 2021 military coup.