Sudan’s army clashes with RSF paramilitary — reports

Explosions and gunfire were heard around Sudan’s capital of Khartoum on Saturday, as clashes were reported between the military led by army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary.

Witnesses told the Reuters news agency they heard heavy gunfire south of Khartoum. The source of the fire was not immediately known.

Clashes were also reportedly taking place near the Republican Palace. Local media said military forces were blocking entrances to the palace.

Gunfire was also heard near RSF bases, witnesses told Reuters and the French AFP news agency, as well as military bases, suggesting clashes between the two forces.

The RSF accused in a statement military forces of attacking its base with “all kinds of light and heavy arms.”

“The Rapid Support Forces were surprised Saturday with a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there,” the RSF said.

Unverified videos on Twitter showed what was identified as RSF forces on the runway of Khartoum airport.

🔴 قوات دعم سريع من داخل مدرج مطار الخرطوم.. pic.twitter.com/uxDsVf6eNb

— درويش ®️ (@Derwish249) April 15, 2023

A rift has been widening between Burhan, who led a military coup in 2021, and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, among Sudan’s most powerful men.

Why have tensions flared recently?
The crisis between the military and the RSF escalated, after both forces failed to reach an agreement over restructuring the military, a prerequisite before forming a civilian government.

The agreement to launch a new transition toward elections that would bring the country back on a civilian track after the October 2021 coup.

Reports have suggested the deadlock is due to disagreements between Burhan and Daglo.

The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia, which Sudan’s then-president, Omar al Bashir, leaned on in his crackdown on the western Darfur region in the early 2000s. The militia is accused of committing war crimes against Darfur’s non-Arab rebels.

However, Bashir’s 2019 ouster did not eliminate the RSF. Its current leader, Daglo, was among the most powerful figures in post-Bashir Sudan.