The Facts
On Tuesday, fighting between the Sudanese army and the country's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia continued hours after an internationally-brokered truce was due to take effect at 6 p.m. local time, with both sides accusing each other of violating it.
Clashes initially broke out on Saturday — derailing a planned transition to a civilian democracy — with the UN estimating that at least 185 people have been killed in the four days.
The Spin
Narrative A
Since Sudan's RSF is itself a product of the al-Bashir dictatorship, it is pure hypocrisy for Dagalo to present himself as a champion of democracy and to frame al-Burhan as a power-hungry radical Islamist. Yet, there is growing evidence that supporters of the ousted al-Bashir regime are responsible for the recent outbreak of violence to block Sudan's transition to democracy. As army chief, it's up to Burhan to prevent the loyalists from plunging Sudan into civil war.
Narrative B
While the SAF under Burhan wants to quickly integrate the RSF into the armed forces, the RSF demands civilian rule and the removal of Muslim Brotherhood elements in the military as a precondition for reforming the military apparatus. However, given the escalating fighting, the RSF must live up to its responsibility and return to the negotiating table to pave the way for a peaceful democratic transition in Sudan, and advance security and military reforms.
