Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Friday sacked the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as his deputy in the ruling Sovereign Council, the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.   

On 15 April, clashes erupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other parts of the country between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) loyal to Gen. Abdel Fataah al-Burhan who is also the country’s de facto leader and his deputy in the sovereign council and leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as a result of a power struggle.

The firing of Gen. Hamdan comes as the two battling generals continue to try to wrest control of the country.

Both Gen. Burhan and Hamdan have served as chairman and deputy of the Sovereign Council respectively, since the October 2021 military coup.

In the decree released on Friday, Gen. Burhan appointed former rebel SPLM-N leader Gen. Malik Agar, also a Sovereign Council member, as Hamdan’s replacement.

Sudan’s de facto leader directed the Sovereign Council’s secretariat and relevant authorities to effect the decree immediately.

Last week, the two sides signed a US-Saudi brokered pact vowing to better protect civilians caught in the crossfire. International efforts are underway to try and build a lasting truce.

The United Nations and rights groups have accused Sudan’s warring sides of human rights abuses. The army has been blamed for bombing residential areas and hospitals, while the RSF was condemned for looting, attacking civilians, and turning civilian houses into operational bases.