VIOLENCE has erupted in cities across Sudan following fighting between the military and government paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday.

Since the military generals removed longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 amidst a popular uprising, Sudan has been ruled by a transitional government tasked with transforming the country into a democracy.

However, tensions between military and civilian groups have characterized much of the post-al-Bashir period, resulting in another military takeover in October 2021 that ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok from a power-sharing government and left a political vacuum to be filled through recent talks.

The RSF, headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti in Sudan), is said to have an army of 100,000. Hemedti rose from humble beginnings as a rebel before switching sides and building a business empire across several sectors, thanks to al-Bashir’s help. The RSF evolved from the Janjaweed militia, which al-Bashir’s government used to quell a rebellion in the Darfur region in the 2000s. It was later used to suppress irregular migration and formally became an independent security force in 2017. It participated in both the 2019 and 2021 military takeovers.

Both the military and the RSF have sent troops to support the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s war in Yemen, allowing Hemedti to develop ties with Gulf states. The group has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, as well as participating in killing dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators before a peace deal was signed in 2019. While Hemedti once apologized for state crimes against the Sudanese people, he did not elaborate.

The RSF’s growing size has long concerned the military leadership, who, along with civilian representatives, have called for its integration into the regular armed forces. This issue has delayed the signing of an internationally-backed deal, originally scheduled for April 1, to move the country closer to democracy.

Relations between the two forces have deteriorated sharply after Hemedti broke ranks with his military colleagues and allied himself with a civilian political alliance during recent negotiations. This allows him to retain considerable influence even after the democratic transition.

The main point of contention at the negotiating table was over the interim leadership of the military before the RSF’s integration. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief, wants the current leadership to remain in charge, while Hemedti insists on installing the incoming civilian head of state into the army’s governing council. Both are sticking to their positions despite mediation attempts by Sudan’s political figures.

Last month, during talks with Sudan’s political parties and the military, the RSF began redeploying units in Khartoum and elsewhere, prompting the army to raise its alert. After fighting that both forces accused each other of starting, the RSF claimed on Saturday to have taken over the presidential palace and other key sites in Khartoum, as well as the northern city of Merowe, El Fasher, and West Darfur state. The military rejected these assertions.

If the fighting widens, it risks plunging the country into prolonged turmoil as it already grapples with economic collapse and violence.(CGTN)