A few days ago there was a friendly relationship. Friends are not exaggerations. The two generals worked together to oust former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Together they played an important role in the military coup that took place in 2021. The ongoing violence in the country began during talks to incorporate the RSF into the country's military as part of a plan to restore civilian rule. The key issue arises as to who will be subordinate to whom under the new hierarchy.
Both sides have been fighting for supremacy ever since. But the ongoing chaos in Sudan is not new. Former President Omar al-Bashir led the country for nearly three decades. At that time, he was ousted from power by protests over rising bread prices in the country. South Sudan split from North Sudan during his rule when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Bashir for war crimes in the separatist western region of Darfur. After Bashir's ouster, Sudan was plunged into chaos by military and civil strife. Which ended with the military coup of 2021.
RSF's controversial past
Sudan's main paramilitary group is the Rapid Support Force. RSF General Dagalo rose to power rapidly. During the Darfur conflict in Sudan in the early 2000s, he was the leader of the notorious Janjaweed force, which was involved in human rights abuses and atrocities in Sudan. Bashir turned it into a paramilitary force called the Border Intelligence Unit when international outrage arose against the group. In 2007, the group's soldiers became part of the country's intelligence services. Then in 2013, Bashir created the RSF, a paramilitary group under his supervision and leadership of Dagalo. Dagalo later turned against Bashir in 2019 and killed at least 118 people. He was later appointed deputy of the Interim Sovereign Council, which governs Sudan in partnership with the civilian leadership.
The two rivals are mirror images of each other
Burhan was the Inspector General of the Army during the fall of President Bashir. His profession also has a stigma like Dagalo. He also became well known for his role during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s. Both al-Burhan and Hemedati strengthened their power base by favoring the Gulf powers. They are now stuck in the conflict of their own power. Sudan now faces an uncertain future. Both sides are demanding control over the country's major state departments. Apart from the capital Khartoum, violence has also spread to other regions. Earlier, a CNN report revealed how Russia colluded with the country's military leaders to smuggle troops out of Sudan. Dagalo's forces were the main recipients of Russian training and weapons. Sudanese military leader Burhan is also believed to be backed by Russia. Sudan's neighbors Egypt and South Sudan have offered to mediate. The number of armed forces of Sudan is about 200,000 to 200,000. Among them, the number of RSF is only 70 thousand.
Burhan has been running the country for several years
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief, has been running Sudan's state power for several years. He became the Chief of Staff of the Army in February 2018.
The country's army overthrew Sudanese President Al-Bashir in April 2019 due to mass protests. This ended his almost 30 years of dictatorial rule. Burhan was then the Inspector General of the Army. At that time he was the third most senior general in Sudan. The Transitional Military Council (TMC) was formed to manage the internal affairs of the country. At one point, Burhan was made the head of TMC.
A few months later, in the face of international pressure, the TMC was replaced by the Sovereign Council (SC). This council is formed on the basis of military-civilian partnership. This council has been running Sudan since 2019.
After the formation of the Sovereign Council, Burhan became its head. RSF chief Hemedati is the deputy leader of the council. As leader of the Sovereign Council, Burhan wielded virtually all authority in the Sudan. This council has been working with the country's pro-democracy civil forces. Burhan and Hemedati staged a coup in 2021. They seized power in Sudan. This derailed the process of Sudan's return to democracy. As Sudan's de facto head of state, Burhan developed close ties with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. It was these countries that encouraged the military generals to overthrow Bashir. At one point, the military and the RSF got involved in a power struggle. Due to this conflict, the relationship between the two parties deteriorated. The latest outbreak of violence in Sudan.
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