Army says the mobilisation of the powerful paramilitary, the Rapid Support Forces, represents a ‘clear violation of law’.

The Sudanese army says a paramilitary force headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has mobilised troops in the capital Khartoum and other cities – a move that raises the prospect of confrontation with the armed forces.

In a statement in the early hours of Thursday, the army said the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was moving into the northern city of Marawi as well in a “clear violation of law” that risked creating more tensions and a security void as Sudan was going through what it described as a “dangerous juncture”.

The RSF said in a statement on Twitter that it deploys across the country as part of its duties and that its deployment to Marawi was part of its “national forces operating within the framework of the law, and in full coordination with the leadership of the armed forces”.

The RSF, which operates under a special law and has its own chain of command, is a powerful former militia that has been accused of widespread human rights abuses, especially during the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, climbed Sudan’s political ladder by serving under former leader Omar al-Bashir, under whom the forces were recognised in 2017. Al-Bashir was removed after a mass protest movement against him in 2019.

SAF statement accused the RSF command of carrying deployments without coordination or notification, accused the RSF of disturbing the peace and spreading fear. Stops short of declaring it a rebellion or mutiny. Meanwhile, people across the country brace for the worst. #Sudan https://t.co/PjWigDTKIy

— Mohanad Hashim (@moehash1) April 13, 2023

Hemeti is now deputy leader of Sudan’s ruling council, which took power after a coup by the army and RSF in late 2021. However, he has recently pulled away from military colleagues and found common ground with a civilian political alliance.

Claims and counterclaims

A military source told Al Jazeera Arabic that Sudan’s army demanded RSF’s withdrawal from Marawi within 24 hours.

Social media users shared videos that purported to show RSF movement towards Marawi, while other footage showed the arrival of reinforcements from the Sudanese army on Wednesday evening.

Another source told Al Jazeera Arabic that state authorities in Marawi reported the deployment of about 100 military vehicles belonging to the RSF near Marawi Airport, without any prior coordination with them.

In its Twitter statement, the RSF called on citizens and the media to avoid misinformation aimed at spreading discord and undermining the security and stability of the country.

Meanwhile, groups of army supporters demonstrated in front of an army garrison in Marawi on Wednesday evening, chanting slogans in its support, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

A video shared on social media showed a division commander in the Sudanese army addressing the protesters to reassure them that the situation was under control.

Worsening relations

The two armed bodies have been vying for supremacy as the army tries to establish its authority over all the country’s military forces and the RSF works to maintain its independence since al-Bashir’s overthrow.

Following the coup of 2021, civilian forces in Sudan continued demonstrating and demanding the creation of a civilian-led transition to democratic elections.

But relations between the military and the RSF have worsened, delaying the implementation of an agreement reached last December to resolve the impasse with civilian leadership.

On the back of negotiations since then, Sudan’s political factions announced in March that they had agreed to form a new transitional government in April, which would see a representative from both the army and the RSF sit alongside civilians to draft a new constitution.

According to the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change – the largest civilian signatory to December’s pledge – the dispute between the Sudanese army and the RSF is the issue of military reform and the incorporation of the RSF into the armed forces.

Central to Hemeti’s disagreement with the military is his reluctance to set a clear deadline to implement one of the clauses of the December agreement, which stipulates the integration of the RSF into the army, according to military sources.

This has delayed the signing of a final settlement with political forces for a two-year civilian-led transition to elections.

A week ahead of the planned signing, it was postponed for the second time, sparking a renewal of mass protests on April 5. No new date was given.

Two senior military officials told the AP last week that both armed factions had agreed to form a six-member joint command to oversee the integration process, but they disagreed over who would have oversight over it.

In recent weeks, both forces have amassed troops and weapons in and around Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. The army has greatly ramped up its presence in the city centre, parking armoured vehicles at nearly all junctions leading to the country’s presidential palace.