Continuous gunfire and explosions were heard in several districts of Khartoum, including in the north, where the airport and the presidential palace are located, and in the south of the city. There is the headquarters of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is supposed to be integrated into the state military.
The situation is very confusing. The RSF said Sudanese soldiers entered their headquarters in the morning. According to media reports, however, RSF forces attacked the airport in Khartoum, but according to the army they have taken control again. The RSF said the presidential palace was occupied.
Only on Thursday did the Sudanese army warn against mobilizing the RSF. Observers saw the mobilization as a threatening gesture by the powerful RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Daglo against the ruler and supreme commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Violent clashes that could result in another civil war in Sudan were feared.
Putsch and subsequent dispute among putschists
Since the fall of long-term ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, the military under the leadership of General al-Burhan has held power in the country. The incorporation of the notorious RSF into the military is one of the most important conditions for the formation of a civilian government. Although the military and the RSF jointly led a military coup in the fall of 2021, tensions between the two military leaders have been mounting in recent months.
The dispute is delaying the transition to a civilian government promised by ruler al-Burhan. Most recently, Daglo surprisingly spoke out in favor of a rapid transition to a civilian government, thereby opposing al-Burhan.
Originally, al-Burhan was supposed to withdraw from the interim government by 2021 at the latest and leave the leadership of the country to civilians. Instead, the military seized power again and postponed democratic elections indefinitely. This week, the military postponed the appointment of a new prime minister and again delayed the transfer of power.
reactions from abroad
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the situation in Sudan “fragile”. However, he stressed that there was still a way to complete the transition to a civilian-led government. The British Embassy has urged all British citizens in Sudan to stay indoors and await further travel warnings. She posted the request on Twitter.
fab/ehl (rtr, dpa)