Why is Sudan on the brink of civil war, again?
The country is especially prone to civil war and coups
ON APRIL 15th Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, and much of the rest of the country were engulfed by open warfare. For months tensions had been building between the two most powerful figures in the military government: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto leader since a coup in 2019, and Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), a warlord. He is the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary unit that grew out of the Janjaweed militias. America’s government among others has accused the Janjaweed of acts of genocide during a conflict in the western region of Darfur in the 2000s. In the latest outbreak of violence at least 180 civilians have been killed and a further 1,800 wounded. The Sudanese find themselves, once again, hostage to violent military officers intent on pursuing their own narrow interests.
From the April 22nd 2023 edition
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