Sudan and South Sudan, two countries that split in 2011 after decades of war, are facing political and security crises that threaten their stability and peace.
In Sudan, the military has warned of a possible civil war after a paramilitary force loyal to Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, deployed its troops in the capital Khartoum and other cities. The military said the move violated the transitional agreement that has been ruling Sudan since the ouster of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The international community has urged all parties to respect the transition process and avoid violence.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Hemeti, have been accused of human rights abuses and involvement in the Darfur conflict. They are part of the transitional Sovereign Council that includes military and civilian representatives. But tensions between the military and the RSF have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay of the signing of an internationally-backed deal with political parties to restore civilian rule.
The RSF said it had deployed its forces to “protect civilians and vital installations” after receiving “information about suspicious movements” by some parties. It also accused some military officers of plotting to assassinate Hemeti and other RSF leaders. The military denied the allegations and said it had taken “necessary measures” to secure the country and prevent any “chaos or instability”.
In South Sudan, tensions have also risen between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy turned rebel leader Riek Machar, who are supposed to share power as part of a peace deal that ended a civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. Machar accused Kiir of violating the peace deal by appointing governors without consulting him or other parties. Kiir dismissed Machar’s accusations as baseless and accused him of trying to sabotage the peace process. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it was “deeply alarmed” by the rising tensions and urged both leaders to resolve their differences through dialogue and compromise.
The peace deal stipulated that Kiir and Machar should lead a transitional government of national unity with four other vice presidents from different parties. But disagreements over key issues such as security sector reform, transitional justice, state boundaries and power-sharing have hampered the implementation of the deal. The formation of the transitional government was repeatedly postponed until February 2020, and many provisions of the deal have not been fulfilled.
The country also faces a humanitarian crisis, with more than half of its population facing acute food insecurity and millions dependent on aid. The civil war erupted in 2013 when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup. The rivals signed several peace deals before reaching the 2018 agreement, which has been marred by delays, violence and mistrust.