More than 180 people have already died as two power-hungry men battle for control. But the desire for democracy endures
First they turned upon Omar al-Bashir, the strongman they had served, when the Sudanese people rose up against the president. Then, in a coup, they turned upon the civilian politicians who had risen to power subsequently. Now they have turned upon each other. Many feared that Sudan’s General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the de facto leader and army chief, and Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the vice-president who controls the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and is known as Hemedti, would soon clash. But the explosion of violence last weekend, its scale and the rapidity with which it spread across the country, including to Darfur and eastern border regions, was nonetheless shocking and frightening.
Both men have a grim track record, playing leading roles in the brutal counterinsurgency campaign against rebels in Darfur, with the conduct of the RSF particularly notorious. The current conflict between them was triggered by plans to integrate Hemedti’s RSF – fostered by Mr Bashir as a counterweight to the army – into the regular military, under controversial plans supposed to bring about the country’s return to civilian rule following 2021’s coup. The two men appear to regard their fight as a matter of survival. Hemedti said that General Burhan would “die like any dog” if not brought to justice. The army has declared Hemedti a “wanted criminal”.
