Fighting has erupted in Sudan as the army and paramilitary forces clashed, leaving hundreds of people dead and thousands injured.
They were the first clashes between the forces since they formed an alliance in 2019 and rose out of a long-running tussle for power. Both sides have offered truces in previous days, but the fighting has not stopped.
Here is what you need to know about the conflict.
The main players?
On one side you’ve got Sudan’s army, headed by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan. He has been the country’s de facto president since a military coup in October 2021.
The RSF is led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti. He is the deputy head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council. The two sides came together to oust former leader Omar al Bashir in 2019 but there have been long-running disagreements over how the country should be run.
Since the clashes started, both sides have claimed to be in control of strategic locations, including the presidential palace, airports and air bases. General Burhan said he was open to negotiations as the fighting continues.
“If negotiations will restore the country and are fair then it’s possible,” he added. The RSF also issued a statement saying it was waging a continuing battle to restore “the rights of our people”.
However, the fighting has continued.
Why has violence erupted now?
The recent violence erupted out of tensions over the transition from military to civilian rule. Things escalated in the days before as RSF troops were deployed around the country. In a rare statement, the army said the mobilisation represented a “clear violation of law”.
Central to the tension was a disagreement between the army and the paramilitary over how and when the RSF should be integrated into the military. The army wanted the transition to happen within two years while the RSF said it would take 10 years.
The merger was a key condition of a framework deal agreed in December that would have seen power shifted to civilians. The agreement was supposed to be signed on April 1, but it was delayed because of failed talks. Skynews