A war has broken out in Sudan, causing hundreds of deaths and leading to the evacuation of foreign nationals. Understand everything about conflict.
For a week now, war has been raging in Sudan. This Monday, April 24, 2023, fighting continues in this East African country, bordered by Egypt (to the north), Chad (to the west), South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea (south and east), but also by the Red Sea. Since the fall of Omar el-Bashir in 2019, who remained at the head of the country for 30 years after a coup, political instability has reigned in Sudan. It was also because of an army coup that the leader was overthrown. A Transitional Military Council made up of members of the army and civilians was then set up, before the civilians were excluded by two soldiers (see below). But a new conflict is raging in the country. Explanations.
Why did a war break out in Sudan?
On October 25, 2021, in a coup, two army generals seized power: Abdel Fattah al-Burhanehead of the army who became head of the country, and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, his number two, head of the country’s paramilitary force. Both had, by a putsch, removed civilians from the transitional organization set up after the overthrow of al-Bashir in 2019.
However, today, the two men are no longer on the same line. There is indeed talk of integrating the paramilitaries into the army. This raises the question of the boss of this new entity. Abdel Fattah al-Burhane wants to impose his conditions when Mohamed Hamdane Daglo wants to have a say and, above all, to be part of the management. But the two camp on their positions. According to the army chief, it was his opponent who launched hostilities on Saturday April 15, 2023.
Where do the fights take place?
The first strikes took place in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. This is where the main battles are concentrated. The paramilitary troops, opposed to the head of state in place, announced that they had taken the presidential palace, the international airport of the capital, another airport in the north of the country, as well as various military bases. Elements not corroborated by the statements of the regular army, which only conceded to have lost the airport of the capital and that of Nyala, in the south-west of the country.
What is the outcome of the conflict?
According to the latest figures transmitted at midday on Monday April 24, more than 400 people have been killed since the start of the conflict and at least 3,700 have been injured.
Why do evacuations take place?
Faced with the scale of the conflict across the country and faced with the fear of an ever bloodier military escalation, several countries have decided to evacuate their nationals present in Sudan. This is particularly the case of France, which has also decided to close its embassy in Khartoum, the capital. According to Le Monde, 250 French people live in Sudan. Have they all been evacuated? Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna did not specify. A total of 388 people, French but not only, were evacuated by the French army.