Several countries have called for a ceasefire in Sudan as civil unrest intensifies

At least 97 civilians have been killed and 365 injured since Saturday in clashes between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) for control of the country, according to the doctors’ union. The death toll is higher than earlier reported by the Sudanese doctors’ Union, which said about 56 people had been killed and more than 600 injured.

Fighting broke out over the weekend in the capital Khartoum and other areas after months of tension between the two rival military factions. The military urged people to stay in their homes. Schools, banks and government offices were closed Sunday. Both sides in the conflict claim they control key airports and other facilities.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to the head of the Sudanese military, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, calling for an immediate end to the violence and the resumption of dialogue.

The conflict that has erupted in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, and elsewhere in the country is the direct result of a vicious power struggle by the country’s military leadership.

Members of the Sudanese military’s rapid-fire support unit clashed with soldiers from the regular army at key strategic locations in the capital.

Sudan has been run by a council of generals since an October 2021 coup, and there are two military men at the center of the dispute. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the head of the armed forces and de facto president of the country.

And his deputy and leader of the Rapid Support force, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. They disagree on the future direction of the country and proposals for civilian rule.

One of the main points of disagreement is over plans to integrate the 100,000-strong Rapid Support force into the army and who will lead the new force.

The violence was preceded by days of tension after members of the Rapid Support Force were redeployed across the country in what the military saw as a threat.
There had been hopes for a negotiated solution to the issue, but that did not happen.

It is not clear who fired the first shots on Saturday morning, but there are fears it will worsen an already volatile situation.Diplomats urged both sides to cease fire.

Formed in 2013, the Rapid Support Force grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militia, which brutally fought off insurgents in Darfur. Since then, D ‘Agallo has built a powerful army, intervened in conflicts in Yemen and Libya, and taken control of some gold mines in Sudan.

It has also been accused of human rights abuses, including the killing of more than 120 protesters in June 2019. Having such a strong presence outside the army has been seen as a source of instability in the country. The conflict is the latest development in tensions following the 2019 ouster of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir.

The military ousted him in a coup after massive street protests demanding an end to his nearly 30-year rule. But civilians continue to demand a role in plans to move towards democratic rule. A civilian-military unity government was then formed, but that government was overthrown in another coup in October 2021.

Since then, the rivalry between Burhan and Dagallo has intensified. In December, Sudan reached a framework agreement to return power to civilians, but talks to finalise the details failed. The conflict has rocked the country, with more than 50 civilians reported dead.

In Sudan’s capital Khartoum, residents took cover from gunfire as rival forces fought over the presidential palace, state television and army headquarters. A doctors’ group said 25 people had been killed in the city, including 17 civilians. The fighting erupted after tensions over a proposed transition to civilian rule.

Both government forces and opposition Rapid Support forces claimed they had taken control of the airport and other key locations in Khartoum, where fighting continued overnight. Heavy artillery could be heard in Omdurman, near Khartoum, and nearby Bahri in the early hours of Sunday. Witnesses also reported gunfire in Port Sudan, a city near the Red Sea.

The military said planes were striking a Rapid Support force base. The country’s air force told people to stay at home Saturday night while it conducted a full aerial survey of the military’s activities. Khartoum residents spoke to reporters of panic and fear, with one saying bullets had been fired at the house next door.

A committee of Sudanese doctors says at least 56 civilians have been killed in cities and districts across the country. It also says dozens of military personnel have been killed, some of whom had been treated in hospital. At least 595 people were injured, the commission said.

If the fighting continues, it could further divide the country and increase political unrest. Diplomats, who have played a crucial role in pressing for a return to civilian rule in Myanmar, will be desperate to find a way to get the two generals talking to each other. In the meantime, ordinary Sudanese will have to live through another period of uncertainty.

The conflict in Sudan has attracted wide international attention. In addition to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking directly to both sides, the European Union, the Arab League and the African Union have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

European Union foreign policy chief Michel Borelli, African Union Commission Chairman Ahmed Mahamat and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called on both sides to cease fire and return to the negotiating table. The Arab League also held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Sudan.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States stressed the importance of halting military escalation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. Britain has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday on the conflict in Sudan.

China also expressed concern about the situation in Sudan, urging both sides in a statement from its embassy in Sudan to cease fire and prevent further escalation. The embassy called on Chinese citizens currently in Sudan to pay attention to their safety.