Explainer: Why Sudan’s army is fighting its paramilitary forces

Days of violence in Sudan have resulted in the deaths of at least 180 people, with many more left wounded.

The fighting represents the latest crisis in the North African nation, which has contended with numerous coups and periods of civil strife since becoming independent in 1956.

The Conversation asked Christopher Tounsel, a Sudan specialist and interim director of the University of Washington’s African Studies Program, to explain the reasons behind the violence and what it means for the chances of democracy being restored in Sudan.

What is going on in Sudan?

It all revolves around infighting between two rival groups: the Sudanese Army and a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

Since a coup in the country in 2021, which ended a transitional government put in place after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir two years earlier, Sudan has been run by the Army, with coup leader General Abdel-Fattah Burhan as de facto ruler.

The Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo – who is generally known by the name Hemedti – has worked alongside the Sudanese Army to help keep the military in power.

Following Bashir’s ouster, the political transition was supposed to result in elections by the end of 2023, with Burhan promising a transition to civilian rule. But it appears that neither Burhan nor Dagalo has any intention of relinquishing power. Moreover, they...

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