SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Washington Post - What happened in Sudan?

19/1/2020: Washington Post - What happened in Sudan?, by Jean-Baptiste Gallopin

Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, sociologist and researcher, analyses the consequences of the NISS mutiny on January 14.

Gallopin raises the prospect of Himedti and Abdelfattah al-Burhan emerging stronger from the “episode,” as they can portray the RSF and army respectively as “protectors of the revolution and scoring points against rivals such as [former NISS chief Salah] Gosh.”

Highlighting the fragility of Sudan’s military alliances and obstacles for security sector reforms, Gallopin writes that the mishandling of NISS severance packages “inspires little confidence that the authorities have the means and expertise to prevent other, potentially more serious, rebellions.”

Gallopin then raises the prospect of infighting between Himedti’s RSF and al-Burhan’s army should they compete for the General Intelligence’s Service’s (GIS) men and business interests, before concluding that the security sector reforms should be overseen by civilians to prevent such outcomes, although this would be unlikely “without an initiative from Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.”