Sudan war: A simple guide to what is happening

Why did the fighting start?

Shooting between the two sides began on 15 April 2023 following days of tension as members of the RSF were redeployed around the country in a move that the army saw as a threat.

There had been some hope that talks could resolve the situation but these never happened.

It is disputed who fired the first shot but the fighting swiftly escalated in different parts of the country.

Why is the military in charge of Sudan?

The civil war is the latest episode in bouts of tension that followed the 2019 ousting of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in a coup in 1989.

There were huge street protests calling for an end to his near-three decade rule and the army mounted a coup to get rid of him.

But civilians continued to campaign for the introduction of democracy.

A joint military-civilian government was then established but that was overthrown in another coup in October 2021, when Gen Burhan took over.

But then the rivalry between Gen Burhan and Gen Dagalo intensified.

A framework deal to put power back in the hands of civilians was agreed in December 2022 but talks to finalise the details failed.

Who controls which parts of the country?

When it began, the conflict appeared to be around the control of key installations.

However, much of it is now happening in urban areas and civilians have become unwitting victims.

The RSF captured Darfur, parts of Kordofan state and, until recently, had controlled much of the capital.

The military controls most of the north and the east, including the key Red Sea port of Port Sudan.