The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized control of the entire Darfur region, after ousting the rival Sudanese army from its last stronghold there in el-Fasher. Its capture raises fears that Africa's third-largest nation may split again, nearly 15 years after the oil-rich South Sudan gained independence following years of civil war.

Khartoum

Sudan's civil conflict is primarily between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), each backed by multiple armed groups. The SAF, established at Sudan's independence, has become deeply involved in the country's economy, controlling key resources. The RSF, originating from the Janjaweed militia, was formalized in 2013 and has grown into a significant force under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti.

Both groups played a role in the 2019 ousting of former leader Omar al-Bashir, later forming a transitional council. However, disagreements between the SAF's Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF's Hemeti over the country's future and the RSF's integration into the army led to renewed conflict. Fighting erupted after a period of tension, with both sides seeking to maintain their power.

As the war takes a new turn, who are the fighting sides in Sudan?

Two warring sides, each supported by multiple armed groups. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces used to work alongside each other, but have been locked in a bloody civil war since April 2023. The army, in its current form, was established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence from the Anglo-Egyptian condominium. It's estimated to have some 200,000 active personnel. After Omar al-Bashir led a coup in 1989, the military became deeply intertwined with Sudan's economic activities, with the army and other linked entities controlling natural resources like oil fields, gold mines and agricultural land. Fighting the army is the Rapid Support Forces. The RSF grew out of the Janjaweed, an Arab majority armed group from eastern Chad and the Sudanese region of Darfur. The Janjaweed were used by Bashir's government in 2003 to help the army put down a rebellion in Darfur. The conflict killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced more than two million. With Bashir's support, the militia was formally organised under the RSF banner in 2013, its members going on to be used as border guards in particular. In 2017, a law legitimising it as an independent security force was passed. The RSF is thought to have some 100,000 troops and is led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti. Despite previously being hired by Bashir to protect him from coup and assassination attempts, the RSF ultimately joined forces with the Sudanese army in 2019 to overthrow Bashir after months of demonstrations against his near three-decade rule. Months later, the military and pro-democracy movement established a transitional sovereign council. Hemeti was announced as its deputy head, while an army general called Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was appointed to lead it. The two men disagreed on the direction the country was going in and on whether to incorporate the RSF into the army. It's thought both generals wanted to maintain their positions of power. Following days of tension, shooting broke out between the two sides in April 2023, though it's disputed who fired the first shot.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced an operation that apparently "thwarted a potential terrorist attack" during Halloween weekend in Michigan. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane has more.

Dearborn

Patel says FBI stopped a potential "terror attack" in Michigan

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Busan

Global Tariffs

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Washington

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New York

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Gyeongju-si

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California

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London

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Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

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Ottawa

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Port-au-Prince

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Moscow

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Illinois

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Rio de Janeiro

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Havana

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Breakdown