Explained | A quick guide to the unfolding crisis in Sudan Premium

Here is a quick guide regarding the ongoing clashes in Sudan. The Hindu explains why the Army is fighting the paramilitary and what is India doing to secure its citizens in Sudan.

The story so far: Violent clashes between the army and a powerful paramilitary force for absolute control of Sudan have left more than 400 people dead and thousands injured in the last few days, dealing a significant blow to chances of a transition to democratic rule in the resource-rich country.

The rival commanders of the two forces agreed to ceasefire brokered by the U.S, but the truce didn’t last long as fierce fighting in the capital Khartoum and other parts moved into second week, with civilians reporting clashes around the military headquarters and international airport.

Many countries are looking to evacuate their citizens from the strife-torn region amid uncertainty and fading hopes for de-escalation. On Saturday, American embassy staffers were airlifted from Khartoum in what U.S. President Joe Biden said was a “precarious evacuation.” Saudi Arabia has also successfully repatriated some of its citizens. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has directed officials to monitor the developing situation and prepare contingency evacuation plans for Indian nationals.

At the centre of Sudan’s crisis are two powerful generals — Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), who heads the ruling council, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group (RAF). Dagalo, commonly known as Hemeti, is the council’s deputy head.

The two Generals jointly led a military coup in October 2021, halting a plan to transition to elections which were part of an agreement after autocrat Omar al-Bashir was ousted by a popular uprising in 2019. The coup worsened the economic crisis and triggered mass demonstrations against the military. The two main demands of protesters were bringing the military under civilian government and integrating the RSF with the army.

The military finalised a preliminary deal with pro-democracy groups in December last year to relaunch the political transition. As per the agreed framework, the military, in charge since the coup, agreed to step back from politics. The pact, however, failed to address critical issues like security sector reform (SSR) and internal conflict in Darfur and other regions. The deal also provided no guarantee that military leaders would cede real power, analysts said. 

Negotiations hit a roadblock before the final agreement could be inked.