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The Saturday clash that was experienced on live TV in Khartoum, Sudan, has developed unrest in the country and region.
It all comes down to a power struggle between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who according to reports were redeployed around Sudan. The Army has termed the move as a threat.
It is not clear who fired the first shot on Saturday morning.
With the ongoing unrest, more than 100 people have been reported dead, while 1,100 injured so far.
What caused the clashes?
The two rival groups, RSF led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias Hemedti and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had been fighting before the 2019 uprising that ousted Omar-Al-Bashir who ruled the country for 30 years.
Hemedti is the deputy leader of the Sovereignty Council, and Fattah is the current country’s de facto ruler.
The two have had long-running dispute revolving around their personal gains and competition after Bashir’s ouster.
In the latest developments which could have triggered the fight between the two, is the signing of the Framework Agreement establishing the transitional period on December 5, 2022.
The Framework stated that the Army will quit politics and hand over power to civilians.
On April 1, 2023, the framework deal was to be resigned in a new transitional government led by civilians but collapsed following Junta’s internal wrangling
The RSF were also to be integrated into the ranks of the army in the framework.
So far, the RSF have claimed control of Khartoum’s main airport, Republican Palace, state guest houses 02 and 03, Meroe airport and military camps in El Fasher.
However, SAF has said it had taken hold of RSF bases in Port Sudan, Kasala, Kadaref, Demazin and Kosti.
How RSF was formed?
The RSF was formed in 2013 by Omar al-Bashir to finish a rebellion in Darfur that began more than two decades ago due to the political and economic marginalisation in Sudan.
The group was also known as Janjaweed which was to be given military ranks and in 2013, Bashir transformed Janjaweed into a semi-organised paramilitary force.
With the military ranks, they were deployed to crush a rebellion in South Darfur and dispatched them to fight in the war in Yemen, and later Libya.
Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias Hemedti to now the head of the group.
Surprisingly, the RSF and the Army came together in 2019 and ousted Bashir from his reign over dictatorship.
The RSF who led the protest against Bashir’s ouster, and were in the plans of transitioning to a democratic government were interrupted by a coup in 2021, and forcefully put the Army back to power.