On Saturday, April 15, paramilitary forces in Sudan claim control of the international airport and the presidential palace in Khartoum, after they have been rocked since morning by gunfire and explosions, in the fiercest episode of rivalry between the two generals in command since the coup.
The Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as “Hemeti”, are now calling on the entire population, like the soldiers themselves, to stir up strife against the army.
sequel after announcement
On the other hand, the army under the leadership of Major General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the de facto ruler of Sudan since the October 25, 2021 coup, condemns it. ” He lies “ and the ” betrayal “ of a force which has lately spread armor and men throughout the country without consulting it.
During the coup, Hemedti and Burhan formed a joint front to oust civilians from power. But over time, Hemedti never stopped denouncing the coup, siding with civilians – and thus against the army in political negotiations – and now it is his dispute with General Burhan that is blocking any way out of the crisis in Sudan.
For several days, the street was teeming with rumors of an impending gang war between the two camps. Khartoum woke up this Saturday morning to the sound of heavy and light gunfire and semi-continuous explosions.
Mutual accusations
Within a few hours, the FSRs announced that they had captured Khartoum International Airport, in the heart of the capital, and then the presidential palace where Major General Burhan usually sits, as well as the palace reserved for state guests, an airport in the north of the country. And Other rules in different provinces..
sequel after announcement
And in a press release, they called on residents to do so “join them” He assures the soldiers that they are “They do not target them, but rather their employees, causing them to remain on his throne, even if it means endangering the stability of the country.”.
The population is confined to their homes. Like all Sudanese, I am still in shelter.tweeted US Ambassador John Godfrey. Escalating tensions between soldiers into direct confrontation is extremely dangerous. I call on the senior military leaders to stop the fighting immediately.”wrote again.
On the other hand, condemns the army ” He lies “ He accuses the FSB of initiating the hostilities: “battles” It started when the RSF attacked army bases In Khartoum and other places in Sudan.Army spokesman General Nabil Abdullah told AFP. Army, she “Doing his duty to protect the country”he added.
On the part of the FSR, the opposite is said: they say they were “I was surprised in the morning by the arrival of a large detachment of the army, which surrounded their camp in Soba.”in southern Khartoum, and “Attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons”.
The future of the paramilitaries involved
Thursday, the Army was already denouncing the deployment ” dangerous “ Paramilitary forces in Khartoum and other cities in Sudan “Without approval or the slightest coordination with the Armed Forces Command.”.
sequel after announcement
Then I pulled out “alarm” facing development ” dangerous “.
Because for several days, while civilians and the international community had to accept a new delay in signing a political agreement that was supposed to get the country out of the rut – due to disagreements between the generals – videos continued to appear showing a severe arrival. Many tanks and men in different cities, including Khartoum.
The differences mainly concern the future of the paramilitaries: a return to democratization depends on their integration into the regular forces.
If the military didn’t reject them, he still wanted to impose his own admission requirements and limit their integration time. General Daglo, claims broad inclusiveness and, above all, his place among the staff.
This dispute continues to hinder the return to the transitional period, which the international community demanded to resume its aid to Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world.
