VOA新闻杂志2023--是什么引发了苏丹的武装冲突？

What Started the Fighting in Sudan?

Over the weekend, fighting broke out between the armies of Sudan's two most powerful generals.

Tensions had been rising for weeks between the armed forces chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

Just 18 months earlier they worked together to overthrow¹ the government as Sudan moved toward democracy.

Both men each have tens of thousands of troops just in the capital of Khartoum. They have repeatedly said they will not negotiate nor stop fighting, even with rising international pressure.

Here is a look at how Sudan, a country with 46 million people and a long history of military overthrows², reached this point.

What led to the fighting?

In recent months, negotiations³ had been under way to restart the change to a democratic political system. The process had been suspended since October 2021, when the government was overthrown⁴.

Under rising international pressure, the armed forces and the RSF signed a deal in December with pro-democracy and civilian⁵ groups. But the agreement left many important political issues unsettled.

Tensions between Burhan and Dagalo worsened during long negotiations to reach a final agreement. A main dispute is over how the RSF would be mixed into the military and who would have control over fighters and weapons.

Dagalo's RSF took strong action against tribal⁶ unrest and pro-democracy activists⁷. But he claimed he was a supporter of the democratic transition. In March, he criticized Burhan, saying military leaders were unwilling⁸ to hand over power.

Experts argued that Dagalo is trying to cover up the reputation of his paramilitary force. It had been accused of war crimes during the Darfur conflict.

How did the situation worsen?

On Wednesday, the RSF began sending forces around the small town of Merowe, north of the capital. The town is important, with its large airport, central position and dam on the Nile River. The next day, the RSF also sent more forces into the capital and other areas of the country.

On Saturday morning, fighting began at a military base south of Khartoum. Each side blamed the other for having started the violence. Since then, the military and the RSF have battled each other with heavy weapons in highly populated areas of the capital and the nearby city of Omdurman.

By Monday, people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the fighting.

What are the chances of a ceasefire?

An immediate⁹ ceasefire appears unlikely. Burhan and Dagalo have demanded that the other surrender. The fierce fighting also might make it harder for the two generals to return to negotiations.

However, the military and the RSF both have foreign supporters, who all called for an immediate end to the fighting. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to discuss Sudan on Monday.

Who are the foreign interests?

During the decades-long rule of dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was removed in 2019, Russia was a strong influence. At one point, Moscow reached an initial deal to build a naval¹⁰ base on Sudan's Red Sea cost.

After al-Bashir's removal, the United States and European nations began competing with Russia for influence in Sudan. The country is rich in natural resources, including gold.

Burhan and Dagalo have also made close ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Sudanese troops from the military and the RSF have fought alongside the Saudi-led alliance in Yemen's civil war.

Egypt also has deep ties with the Sudanese military. The two armies conduct regular war exercises, most recently this month.

The military controls most of the country's economy. But the RSF runs major gold mining areas, an important source of money for the group.

Words in This Story

reputation — n. the way in which people think of someone or something

influence — n. the power to change or affect someone or something

1 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

2 overthrows   

n.推翻，终止，结束( overthrow的名词复数 )v.打倒，推翻( overthrow的第三人称单数 )；使终止

参考例句：

• Newly-elected French President Charles Louis Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic. 1851年，新选出来的法国总统查尔斯·路易斯·波拿巴推翻了第二次共和。 来自互联网
• With unexpected innovative elements, the Next Step overthrows your knowledge for percussion! 意想不到的创新元素，颠覆你对打击乐的印象。 来自互联网

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。