The military intelligence of the Sudanese Army in the Wadi Seidna military area in Omdurman has arrested a number of officers in the Omdurman mobile units command on charges of preparing for a coup, according to a Sudanese newspaper.
The newspaper “Al-Sudani” revealed that the arrest campaign targeted officers active in the operations management in Omdurman specifically.
An informed source told Sudanese media outlets, “The arrested officers, who have been placed under severe detention, include the commander of the reserve mobile unit in Sirkab camp, the director of the technical department in air defense responsible for radars and anti-drone jamming devices, and the operations officer for strategic support and reinforcement for armored vehicle locations.”
The source added, “Preparations are underway to arrest a brigadier general, the commander of one of the mobile units in Omdurman city. All of them are detained under the guise of preparing for a coup.”
A military source from Wadi Seidna base stated that the officers’ arrests coincided with the visit of a member of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, the assistant to the army’s general commander, Ibrahim Jaber, to the Wadi Seidna military area.
The recent conflict in Sudan, which began on April 15, 2023, involves a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. This war has led to significant casualties and displacement, with at least 13,000–15,000 people killed and 33,000 injured as of January 2024. Over 5.8 million people have been internally displaced, and more than 1.5 million have fled the country as refugees. The conflict has been concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in these areas.
The roots of this conflict lie in tensions that had been building for months between the Sudanese army and the RSF, particularly after the two groups toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup. An internationally backed plan aimed at transitioning to civilian rule and integrating the RSF into the regular armed forces was a major point of contention. Disagreements over the integration timetable and the command structure, including civilian oversight, led to the outbreak of violence when the final deal was to be signed in early April 2023.
The protagonists in this conflict include General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the army and leader of Sudan’s ruling council, and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). Hemedti had aligned more closely with civilian parties, positioning himself as a potential statesman and center of power, while sidelining Islamist-leaning loyalists of the former ruler Omar al-Bashir.
The conflict has not only caused extensive damage to one of Africa’s largest urban areas but also risks destabilizing the region, potentially affecting the Sahel, the Red Sea, and the Horn of Africa. International actors, including Western powers, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Russia, have been involved in varying capacities, with many seeking to influence the transition process and the future political landscape of Sudan.
