This month was supposed to mark a major new era for Sudan: a return to civilian leadership, as the military had vowed to relinquish power on last Tuesday, 11 April, the fourth anniversary of Mr. al-Bashir's removal. However, in a power struggle betwen military factions, these hopes vanished, as fighting broke out in the capital city of Khartoum, and has since spread to other parts of Sudan, including Darfur. Reports indicate that the two sides, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, are engaged in heavy fighting with artillery, tanks, and aircraft. The cause of the conflict is unclear, but it is believed to be related to the political power struggle between the two forces. Over the past few months, tensions between the two groups have been escalating.
The United Nations and the European Union strongly condemned the violence and called for an immediate end to the fighting. They urged both sides to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and warned of the potential for further violence and bloodshed. The Sudanese government has yet to comment on the violence, but it is feared that the situation could quickly spiral out of control.
Fernando Aguiar, BIC’s Senior Advisor on Conflict and EU Foreign Affairs, said: "For years now, we have been closely monitoring the events occurring in Sudan. As pointed out in our reports, we have been strongly concerned about the difficulties of establishing a long-standing, civilian-led political process due to the presence of military figures in positions of power. In addition, conflict in Darfur adds fuel to the fire. The presence of different armed rebel groups and Russia's Wagner private military company, linked to General Hamdan, and their pursuit of gold mining in the region, further complicates the already conflict-ridden situation. The ongoing turmoil in Sudan serves as a powerful reminder that dialogue must be maintained and that transition to democracy must be civilian-led if we want to guarantee lasting stability."
Several sources have indicated that more than 80 people have been killed so far and over 1,126 injured, and it is still unknown who has control of the city. Yesterday, the African Union and another regional bloc held emergency meetings in an attempt to initiate diplomatic efforts in Sudan. Egypt and South Sudan have offered to act as mediators between the conflicting parties, but neither party has agreed to enter negotiations. The BIC is extremely concerned about the situation as it continues to deteriorate, it is hoped that a peaceful resolution can be reached soon to end the fighting and avoid a full-scale civil war.