Sudan Army and RSF in heavy clashes Clash: Unease in Darfur
Kanako Mita, Sawako Uchida, and Sawako Utsumi
Modern Tokyo Times
Heavy military clashes broke out between the armed forces of Sudan and the feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Initial reports say at least 56 people were killed in Khartoum.
Strategic areas of Khartoum have witnessed heavy clashes. Accordingly, the situation is tense in other parts of Sudan, given the reputation of the RSF.
Voice of America reports, “… recent tensions between the army and the RSF stem from disagreements with how the RSF should be integrated in the army and who should oversee that process. It’s part of an effort to restore the country to civilian rule and end a political crisis sparked by a military coup in October 2021.”
The African Union, the Arab League, Egypt, and South Sudan are all calling for a cessation of hostilities.
Saudi Arabia is also alarmed by events in Sudan. In recent years, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seek to prevent the forces of Islamism from entering vacuums.
Arab News reports about concerns in Saudi Arabia. This agency said: “During calls to the commander of Sudan’s military, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the current situation in the country and stressed the importance of returning to the framework transition agreement which guarantees security and stability for Sudan and its people.”
The BBC reports, “The latest deadly violence is rooted in a power struggle between two military men: one, Sudan’s leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan; the other, his deputy, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.”
DARFUR
In Darfur, the non-Arab ethnic groups are worried about the clashes. For example, last year, the remnants of the Arab Janjaweed were integrated with the RSF. Therefore, massacres in the Kereneink region in Darfur led to accusations that the RSF was involved.
The Sudan Tribune reported (2022), “In a statement on Saturday, a human rights group, Darfur Lawyer’s Association, said that the recent tribal violence in the Kereneink area led to the displacement of about 20,000 residents.”
The spokesperson for the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur, Adam Regal, said, “At least 168 people were killed“ in this massacre.
Regal continued, the RSF has “committed killings, burning, lootings, and torture without mercy.”
Hence, non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur are worried about the ongoing RSF assault against the armed forces of Sudan in Khartoum.
The Central African Republic (Christian and Muslim tensions) and Chad will also be watching events in Khartoum between the armed forces of Sudan and the RSF.
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