As Sudan’s rival forces vie for power, who pays the price?

A Sudanese protester flashes the victory sign during a protest against the military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, 13 November 2021. Sudan's military seized power on 25 October and arrested the Prime Minister and other senior ministers and civilian members of the Transitional Sovereignty Council during early morning raids [File: Stringer/EPA-EFE]

On March 11, army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamad Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo met in Khartoum’s military headquarters, seemingly ending their rift which has simmered since Sudan’s former strongman president, Omar al-Bashir, was toppled in April 2019.

The two armed bodies have been vying for supremacy as the army tries to establish its authority over all the country’s military forces and the RSF works to maintain its independence.