…Researched and contributed by Jack Sylva.
Sudan is facing a crisis as the military leader, Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, and his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, who commands the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are engaged in a battle.
This conflict has erupted because the army and the RSF have disagreements about the future of the country after the removal of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Both factions played a crucial role in al-Bashir’s ouster, and a Sovereign Council, which included civilian and military factions, was established as an interim government.
However, tensions between the military and civilian elements of the council, along with harsh economic conditions and protests, led to Hamdok’s removal in another coup jointly led by the army chief Lt.Gen.
Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, and other security officers in October 2021.
The Rapid Support Forces and the army are fighting over a disagreement about how to include the members of the paramilitary group into the army.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are a paramilitary force created by al-Bashir’s government in 2013.
The force was established to create a well-trained, well-equipped, and centrally integrated security force that could be deployed against threats to its regime.
Hemedti, a former Janjaweed commander, was selected by al-Bashir as the leader.
The Janjaweed are an armed militia with Arab lineage from Darfur and Kordofan in western Sudan.
They were notorious for committing atrocities in Darfur under instruction from al-Bashir in the 2000s.
By 2021, the paramilitary group was estimated to have between 75,000 and 100,000 men.
The group primarily comprises Darfurians, many of whom were picked by Hemedti.
The paramilitary group has a history of committing atrocities, including targeting civilian villages and committing rapes in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states.
The group was deployed by the government to Darfur in 2014 and 2015, where they looted civilian properties and raped women, including young girls.
The group’s activities have been characterised by the targeting of civilians to eliminate support bases for the rebels.
Though the paramilitary group was created to protect al-Bashir’s government from threats, Hemedti played a key role in al-Bashir’s removal from power in April 2019.
The RSF’s power is a cause for concern because of their roots in the Janjaweed.
The Janjaweed militia originated in the mid-1980s when there was a collapse of law and order in the Darfur region.
The Janjaweed began to arm themselves, forming militias for protection though they largely operated to grab land and restock lost animals.
The term “Janjaweed” applies to all Arab armed groups, irrespective of their origins.
They could be Chadian, Libyan, or from other non-Sudanese backgrounds, but most of them were Arabs from Darfur.
Because the RSF operates somewhat independently under Hemedti’s command, they create a massive problem for the nation.
The paramilitary group should be disbanded, and its members given the option of joining the army or police or returning to civilian life.
The ongoing fighting has to stop, and genuine negotiations should be given a chance.
A new political framework agreement is needed that is inclusive and has the trust and support of Sudanese people.
The military is there to protect and safeguard the nation and should not be the dominant force in the political process.
The Inter Governmental Authority on Development should continue to play