Sudan's military warns of RSF deployment in Khartoum, other cities

The Sudanese army has warned of what it described as a "mobilisation of forces and redeployment" by the Rapid Support Forces [RSF] in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

In a statement in the early hours of Thursday, the army said the RSF's movements represent a "clear violation of law".

The RSF said in an earlier statement that it deploys across the country as part of its normal duties. 

A ruthless band of the country's largest paramilitary troops, the RSF was established in 2013 to fight armed rebel groups in the country's war-torn Darfur region where Khartoum used some of the country's Arab tribes organised under Janjaweed militias against rebel groups to suppress the rebellion. 

While the initial purpose for creating the RSF was to develop a military instrument against Darfur rebels, later on, the paramilitary group has been used in the crackdowns against protests and other rebel activities across Sudan.  

Tensions between the military and RSF have come to the surface in recent weeks over the proposed timeline for integration of the RSF into the military, political and military sources say. 

The army wants two years, while the RSF says 10 years are required and that restructuring should include internal reform within the army, according to the sources.

Sudan's army has said it remains committed to a plan for a new transition towards elections, despite disputes over the integration of the paramilitary force that have twice delayed the signing of a final deal.

The agreement, which provides for the formation of a civilian government and is strongly supported by the international community, is meant to end a political vacuum that followed an October 2021 coup.

But the signing was postponed twice as the army and the powerful RSF continued negotiations over what commitments they would make on military restructuring.