After the events of bloody Saturday: Sudan puts world in state of concern

Ahmed Adel

A state of great anxiety has gripped the Arab and international circles as a result of the clashes that took place in Sudan on Saturday, April 15. This concern stems from the deterioration of the security situation in which the Arab region will fall, specifically East Africa, where Khartoum is located.

Major battles

Major battles took place in Sudan with heavy weapons and warplanes between the Sudanese army, under the command of Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”, but ended with the Sudanese Armed Forces controlling the security situation in the country, amid fears from many Arab and African countries of the situation igniting again.

Civil war

For her part, Nourhan Sharara, a researcher of African affairs, said that Sudan is heading towards a dangerous civil war between two parties that have been in conflict for a long time, and although the events in Sudan are not surprising, they came in a stronger way than expected. This coup attempt, which came against the background of negotiations to hand over power to civilians, is the most difficult of its kind, and its impact on Sudan will not be commendable, as there are many civilian casualties among the dead and wounded. Despite the lack of information about who started striking first, the army announced that the RSF had attacked several strategic locations, while the RSF denied this, accusing the army of the first strike.

Sharara confirmed in a special statement to the Reference that the dispute between the two parties is due to a proposal to include the RSF in the ranks of the army, amid wide differences on how to manage the army after its inclusion and who will lead. The events of the bloody Saturday may have destroyed the Sudanese dream of stability and the building of a civil democratic state, as this dispute warns of a civil war that may result in the division of Sudan into two states.

She added that the conflict in Sudan will not only cause internal devastation for the Sudanese, but will also increase the volume of conflicts in the region, which in turn harms the interests of Africa itself and all its partners among the major powers, as well as neighboring countries such as Egypt, which considers Sudan the depth of its national security, as any events in Sudan are largely related to Egyptian national security.

Sharara noted that there are great fears about the continuation of the current situation in Sudan or division in the absence of solutions to calm the situation. It is worth noting that Sudan has been suffering for a long time from the presence of terrorist and political Islamist groups, which may find a new opportunity to return to Sudan, which would harm Sudan, Africa and the entire world.

In the same context, Mohamed Rabie al-Daihi, a researcher in international relations, said that the tensions in Sudan accelerated in a dramatic scene, which raised many questions about the repercussions of this on regional security in light of a very tense crisis, clashes and violence between the parties.

Daihi stressed in an exclusive statement to the Reference that the situation in Sudan will lead to negative impacts on regional security, especially since Sudan is characterized by its important strategic location on the Red Sea that is equal in importance to that of Yemen.