Sudan: Why has violence erupted, who are the RSF and where are the army and paramilitary fighting?
Fighting erupted in Sudan on Saturday as the army and paramilitary forces clashed, leaving at least 56 people dead and hundreds injured.
They were the first clashes between the forces since they formed an alliance in 2019 but rose out of a long-running tussle for power.
Here is what you need to know.
Who are the main players?
On one side you’ve got Sudan’s army, headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
He has been the country’s de facto president since a military coup in October 2021.
On the other is paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the partner-turned-rival of the military.
The RSF is led by general Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti. He is the deputy head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council.
The two sides came together to oust former leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019 but there have been long-running disagreements over how the country should be run.
Since the clashes started both sides have claimed to be in control of strategic locations, including the presidential palace, airports and air bases.
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What’s going on in Sudan?
Why has violence erupted now?
Saturday’s violence erupted out of tensions over the transition from military to civilian rule.
Things escalated in the days prior as RSF troops were deployed around the country.
In a rare statement in the early hours of Thursday, the army said the mobilisation represented a “clear violation of law”.
Central to the tension was a disagreement between the army and the paramilitary over how and when the RSF should be integrated into the military.
The army wanted the transition to happen within two years while the RSF said it would take 10 years.
The merger is a key condition of a framework deal agreed in December that would see power shifted to civilians.
The agreement was supposed to be signed on 1 April, but it has been delayed because of failed talks.
Read more:
Why tensions in Sudan could escalate into ‘all-out civil war’
Civilians among 56 killed during heavy fighting in Sudan
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‘Tension had been boiling’ in Sudan
Where is the fighting happening?
The fighting began at a military base south of the capital Khartoum, with both sides accusing the other of initiating attacks.
Clashes then spread across the city, including around the military’s headquarters, the airport and the presidential palace.
Witnesses have reported gunfire in many parts of the country, including heavy exchanges of gunfire in the northern city of Merowe and clashes in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala.
Who are the RSF?
The RSF is made up of about 100,000 troops and evolved from so-called janjaweed militias that fought in the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.
The RSF has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict.
In 2017, a law legitimising the RSF as an independent security force was passed.
Smoke is seen rising from planes in Khartoum’s international airport amid violent fighting
Transition to democracy
Former president Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019 following months of protests against his three-decade authoritarian rule.
He was convicted of corruption and money laundering and accused by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and genocide, linked to the bloody conflict in Darfur.
A joint military-civilian government was established after he was toppled but that was overthrown in the 2021 coup.
The coup put the army back in charge, but it faced weekly demonstrations, renewed isolation and deepening economic woes.
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former “thug” and “pit bull”, has been accused of lying about a phone call he says he made to the former US president about payments to ex porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen, a lawyer who worked for the Trump Organisation from 2006 to 2017, has been giving evidence in the case about hush money payments to Ms Daniels – in an attempt to cover up an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, called into question an important detail – a phone call made by Cohen to Trump’s assistant, Keith Schiller, on 24 October 2016.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Cohen, 57, has maintained that during that call he spoke to Trump (who was either given the phone by Mr Schiller or placed on loudspeaker – we don’t know which) and told him he had paid Ms Daniels $130,000 in hush money on his behalf.
But Mr Blanche called this into doubt – showing the jury a number of interactions suggesting Cohen was in contact with Mr Schiller about a different issue at the same time, namely that he was receiving harassing phone calls and texts from a 14-year-old child.
“That was a lie – you did not talk to President Trump on that night, you talked to Keith Schiller about what we just went through,” Mr Blanche said.
Cohen said that, based on his records, he believes he spoke to Trump about the Stormy Daniels matter.
“We are not asking for your belief,” Mr Blanche said. “This jury does not want to hear what you think happened.”
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Donald Trump in court on Thursday. Pic: Reuters
That exchange was part of several hours of questioning which apparently sought to paint a picture of Cohen as someone who is eager to see his former boss behind bars.
Mr Blanche played jurors audio clips of Cohen saying the case “fills me with delight” and that imagining Trump and his family in prison made him feel “giddy with hope and laughter”.
“Does the outcome of this trial affect you personally?” Mr Blanche asked.
“Yes,” Cohen replied. He is due to return to the witness stand on Monday.
Michael Cohen (right) was Donald Trump’s fixer. Pic: AP
Cohen worked as the former president’s fixer. He once described himself as Trump’s “spokesman, thug, pit bull and lawless lawyer”.
He once said he would take a bullet for his boss and admitted at the end of questioning on Tuesday that he “violated my moral compass” while working for Trump.
Hush money payouts are not illegal, but Trump is accused of falsifying business records to hide it – a claim he denies.
Cristiano Ronaldo has topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm took second place following his switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Ronaldo became the world’s highest-paid athlete after his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr and Forbes said the 39-year-old’s estimated total earnings were around $260m (£205m) – an all-time high for a football player.
Jon Rahm came in second. Pic: Jeff Faughender/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
His on-field earnings amounted to $200m (£158m) while off-field he earned $60m (£47m) thanks to sponsorship deals where brands make use of his 629 million Instagram followers.
Rahm earned $218m (£172m) and joins Ronaldo as the only two athletes to earn over $200m.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi. Pic: David Kirouac/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Third on the list is record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who switched to Major League Soccer team Inter Miami, which helped the Argentine World Cup winner earn $135m (£107m).
The 36-year-old earned $65m (£51m) in on-field earnings but $70m (£55m) off it from deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James came in fourth at $128m (£101m), while fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks made fifth with $111m (£88m).
France football captain Kylian Mbappe dropped down to sixth with $110m (£87m).
Neymar, who also moved to the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Hilal, is seventh with $108m (£85m), despite sitting out the majority of the season with a torn ACL.
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French striker Karim Benzema, who also moved to Saudi Arabia, is eighth on the list with $106m (£84m), followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry with $102m (£80m).
Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list, in 10th place with $101m (£80m), thanks to the signing bonus negotiated into his new Baltimore Ravens contract last year.
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