Behind The Sudan Crisis

Sudan is an African country located in northeast Africa. Sudan shares a border with the Red Sea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, and the Central African Republic. If we summarize the Sudan crisis in one line, this geographical location of Sudan is the only and foremost reason behind the Suddan Crisis. Let’s excitingly discuss this Crisis and explore the hidden players behind it.

Who is Omar Al Bashir?

Sudan was under a military dictatorship from 1989 to 2019. So, the name Omar Al Bashir is very famous in Sudan’s thirty years of military dictatorship. Omar Al Bashir was the ruler of Sudan, who remained for thirty years, and everything in Sudan was under his control. The civilians were unhappy during his regime and wanted democracy to prevail in Sudan.

Protest In Sudan-2019

The protesters gathered before the Military Headquarters and demanded Omar Al Bashir’s resignation. Civil Society led this movement, including doctors, lawyers, and teachers. There were consistent dialogues between the military and civilian protesters. A para-military group named Rapid Support Forces(RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as General Hemeti, opened fire on protestors before the military headquarters. As a result of the firing, almost a hundred civilians lost their lives.

Successful Dialogues

The dialogues between the military and the civilians were in progress. Ultimately, the military agreed to the public demand, and Omar Al Bashir was removed from his office on 11 April 2019. The public celebrated, and these celebrations were throughout Sudan but lasted no longer because the good days for Sudan were yet to come.

As a result of these dialogues, a combined civil and military government was formed in Sudan that lasted for only two years.

The Darfur Crisis

The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) stood against the Sudan Government in February 2003. These rebellions claimed the uneven or unjust behavior of Sudan’s government toward non Arab population of Darfur. Omar Al Bashir was ruling Sudan at that time. He introduced a proxy group to tackle such rebellion movements, and this group was named The Janjaweed, led by General Hemeti.

This proxy group violated many human rights, and there were many deaths during the Darfur Crisis. At last, this group successfully eliminated the rebel groups from the Darfur region. The military and government of Sudan fully supported The Janjaweed group.

The Rise of General Hemeti and RSF

The successful elimination of rebellions in The Darfur Crisis resulted in the rise of General Hemeti and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

General Hemeti became so famous that he had strong links with the powers of Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia. General Hemeti started his business in Sudan, creating a business empire that strengthened his position.

The RSF group was almost 1 lac in number, and it is reported that their services were used during Yemen Civil War. The RSF group is similar to those used by America named Private Military Contractors against Afghanistan. These groups protected the American military and fought in parallel with the American forces against Afghan Taliban.

This group’s strength increased daily, and they were above the law. They had no fear of accountability.

General Burhan

This character is significant in Sudan Crisis. General Burhan was the man who agreed upon the resignation of Omar Al Bashir during a protest in front of the Military Headquarters in 2019. He is the head of the Sudan’s Military Forces.

The Return Of Military Rule In Sudan

Come back to the celebrations in Sudan after Omar Al Bashir’s resignation. As mentioned, a combined government was formed in 2019 that lasted two years. In 2021, the armed forces again overtook the government. Both General Burhan and General Hemeti came into power as allies. The Council Of Generals was formed in 2021, in which General Burhan was named at the top of the list, and General Hemeti remained at number 2nd.

General Burhan, the head of the military forces, wanted to integrate RSF into Sudan’s army as early as possible. He may have some doubts that this RSF group will be out of their control in the future, so it is better to integrate them before any chaos.

On the other hand, General Hemeti wants the independence status of RSF and is not interested in being a part of Sudan’s Military Forces.

Starting Scenes From April 2023

In April 2023, both groups opened fire against each other, and Sudan was under a Civil War. Almost 500 casualties have been reported due to a fire exchange between Sudan’s military forces and RSF. This war reached Khartoum (the Capital City Of Sudan) on the bank of the River Nile.

Outcomes Of Crisis

This civil war has many outcomes. Some of them are:

• This fight is resulting in collateral damage. The fighters of RSF are small in number, and they mostly live in public areas. So, the Airforce is under Sudan’s Military control. Several airstrikes have been launched to target several buildings, resulting in the civil population’s deaths.
• The infrastructure of Sudan is destroyed, including its airport.
• There was also a fight between the two groups to occupy the official tv channel’s building in Khartoum and the Presidential Palace.
• Many countries have withdrawn their representatives and other diplomatic staff from Sudan.
• There is a shortage of water, electricity, and other necessities throughout the country.

Turning Point of Story

The Port of Sudan is on the Red Sea, an essential segment of the Indian Ocean and the center of global trade. Saudi Arabia is on the East of the Red Sea, while the left side of the Red Sea includes various African countries like Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, and Egypt.

An agreement was signed between the Russian Foreign Minister and General Burhan, according to which Russia will set up a Naval Base at the Port of Sudan. Nearly 300 Russian troops will be deployed there. This also includes 4 Nuclear Powered Ships. This agreement also had a clause that this agreement would be fully functional when a democratic government in Sudan approved this through any resolution or amendment. So, in this way, General Burhan reflected an intention to create a civilian government in Sudan. In return, Russia will give Sudan Russian-made weapons at easy terms and conditions.

This agreement will result in the formation of fortification of the Russian military in this region, resulting in various financial benefits for Russia. This was a great strategic move by Russia.

Russia’s arrival at the Sudan port, and China’s establishment of naval bases in many countries, will alarm America, as America is the only maritime power present. This will affect the Western world if Russia comes into this critical area with nuclear weapons.
Last year, America threatened it would have consequences in Sudan and create unrest in Sudan if Russia arrived at the Sudan Port.

Who is Behind Sudan Crisis?

So, this is now a problem for Sudan because Sudan is facing a crisis, and saving their country is their foremost priority, as providing a naval base to Russia is only possible if Sudan’s situation gets stable. So, the present case is a delay in Russian arrival because Sudan is currently facing a big civil war crisis.

Do you know the hidden hands behind RSF and Sudan Crisis?

I don’t think so; there is something unrelated to America’s CIA, or the CIA has no interest in this Crisis.