Sudan has recently grabbed international attention due to a power struggle within its armed forces that has rapidly escalated into a civil war. The conflict revolves around two rival leaders: Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the de facto leader of Sudan following a coup in April 2019, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemetti, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group integrated into the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). While Al Burhan is the commander-in-chief of the Sudan Armed Forces, Hemetti served as his second-in-command. Their longstanding rivalry has now boiled over.
Sudan’s history of coups and war.
Sudan's tumultuous history traces back to its independence from joint British and Egyptian rule in 1956. The country has been plagued by coups and civil wars ever since.
In 1958, merely two years after gaining independence, a military coup toppled the newly established democratically elected government.
In 1964, the October Revolution overthrew the struggling military regime and once again established a civilian government which sought to restore stability and adhere to the original 1956 constitution.
However it was not to last, and in 1969 another military coup took place this time led by Jaafar Nimeriy, who assumed leadership. One of the focuses of the new government was bringing an end to the civil war in the South. Soon after taking control, the military council declared regional autonomy for Southern Sudan, aiming to address the long-standing grievances in the region.
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