Sudan´s military warned Thursday of a potential confrontation with the country´s paramilitary force, which it said deployed forces in the capital and other areas.

Tensions between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (SRF) led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay in the signing of a peace agreement with political parties to revive the country´s democratic transition.

In a statement, the military said the buildup of the RSF in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country was done without "the approval of, or coordination with" the armed forces´ leadership and presents a clear "violation of the law."

The warning came as the RSF deployed troops in the Northern Province on the border with Egypt.

The tensions are rooted in the integration of the RSF into the military, a key term of the deal first agreed upon last December. The paramilitary force grew out of former militias that executed a brutal crackdown in Sudan´s Darfur region over the past two decades.

Though the military and the RSF together led a coup in October 2021, friction between the forces' two leaders has become visible in recent months. Conflicting public statements, heavy military presence in the capital, and parallel foreign trips reflected the tension.