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14-04-2023
KHARTOUM: The Sudanese army says a paramilitary group headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has mobilized its forces in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities, a move that raises the prospect of confrontation with the armed forces.
The army said in a statement on Thursday that members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were also moving into the northern city of Marawi in a “clear violation of law” that risked creating more tensions as Sudan goes through what it described as a “dangerous juncture”.
The RSF said in a statement on Twitter that it deploys across the country as part of its duties and that its operations in Marawi were part of its “national forces operating within the framework of the law, and in full coordination with the leadership of the armed forces”.
The RSF, which operates under a special law and has its own chain of command, is a powerful former militia that has been accused of widespread human rights abuses, especially during the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, climbed Sudan’s political ladder by serving under former leader Omar al-Bashir, under whom the forces were recognized in 2017. Al-Bashir was removed after a mass protest movement against him in 2019.
Hemeti is now deputy leader of Sudan’s ruling council, which took power after a coup by the army and RSF in late 2021. However, he has recently pulled away from military colleagues and found common ground with a civilian political alliance.
Reporting from Khartoum, journalist Hiba Morgan said tensions between the army and RSF have been rising for months over the integration of the RSF into the military.
“The army wants the integration of the RSF into it within a two-year transitional period. The RSF wants to fall under civilian leadership,” she said, adding that the army wants RSF forces and officers to be assessed before they are integrated.
Morgan said that political parties have warned against developments that could lead to political turmoil.
“We are talking about two armed groups. These tensions, should they escalate, could lead to a full on war between the two sides, pushing the country into a civil war something many political parties have been warning against,” she explained.
Claims and counterclaims
A military source told media that Sudan’s army demanded RSF’s withdrawal from Marawi within 24 hours.
Social media users shared videos that purported to show RSF movement towards Marawi, while other footage showed the arrival of reinforcements from the Sudanese army on Wednesday evening.
Another source told media that state authorities in Marawi reported the deployment of about 100 military vehicles belonging to the RSF near Marawi Airport, without any prior coordination with them. In its Twitter statement, the RSF called on citizens and the media to avoid misinformation aimed at spreading discord and undermining the security and stability of the country.
Meanwhile, groups of army supporters demonstrated in front of an army garrison in Marawi on Wednesday evening, chanting slogans in its support, according media.
A video shared on social media showed a division commander in the Sudanese army addressing the protesters to reassure them that the situation was under control.
Kholood Khair, founder of Confluence Advisory, a Khartoum-based think tank, told media that while the army has previously deployed the RSF, “the difference now is that the heads of these two organizations are at loggerheads and the RSF is maneuvering itself in one of Sudan’s most strategic sites which is the Merowe Dam.” (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
