The military coup in Sudan has had one man at its centre: General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and chairman of what was Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council.
Lurking in the background has been another military man, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemeti. Head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Hemeti's troops are out on the streets killing and injuring civilians, but the man himself has hardly been seen, leading to widespread talk about his whereabouts and his intentions.
It is now known that on Friday night he was meeting with Volker Perthes, the UN's special representative for Sudan, who tweeted that he urged Hemeti to "de-escalate, allow peaceful protest and avoid any confrontation tomorrow, 30 October".
Nevertheless, according to analysts, Hemeti appears to be biding his time, waiting to see how the coup plays out. He and Burhan are part of the same system, but if the general stumbles, Hemeti will look to take control of the putsch.
Read more from Middle East Eye on Hemeti's power, influence and tactics.