Sudanese paramilitary group takes control of Presidential Palace: Report

The Sudanese paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has said that they have claimed control of the Presidential Palace, as tensions between rival factions of armed forces in Sudan escalated into violence, reported CNN.

Witnesses told CNN that heavy fighting had been reported around the Presidential Palace and Army Headquarters in Sudan's capital Khartoum.

The RSF, in a statement, also claimed control of airports in Khartoum, Marwa and al-Abaid and subsequently the flights out of the international airport were cancelled.

According to the RSF, they were reacting to a surprise attack from the army on one of their bases, as per CNN.

 

Meanwhile, the founding director of Khartoum-based think tank, Confluence Advisory, Kholood Khair said that the military and RSF have never gotten along due to their opposing views on power consolidation, according to a report in Al-Jazeera. Yet, he added, that they have been working together because they both want to avoid accountability and agree to security sector changes that would limit their authority.

Khair said, "There are signs that they are working together to escalate the tensions and very publicly show this escalation to get concessions from pro-democracy forces, only then to de-escalate those tensions. This has been a cycle of rinse and repeat over the past few years."

"An armed conflict is always possible and likely, precisely because of the power struggle between Burhan and Hemeti that supersedes all these machinations. They come together when they need to resist reforms and democratic gains. When things don't go their way, we see things heating up. It is those different impulses playing out, which means that regardless of whether there is a de-escalation or not, there is always a likelihood of a clash," he added.

"What makes this particular incident in Marawi interesting is that we've seen the armed forces come out and almost call out the actions of the RSF as an act of war. This is a type of escalation we haven't seen before, which is giving people anxiety," he said, according to Al Jazeera.

The Sudanese military, after 18 months of its coup, had promised to cede control to a civilian-led government this month. Yet, the process has been dominated by a rivalry between General al-Burhan and General Hamdan, also known as Hemeti.

The two generals have been openly criticising one another in speeches over the past few months, and they have dispatched reinforcements and armoured vehicles to oppose military camps spread around the city.