Advisor to RSF Leader Denies Plans for New Government in Darfur

 A screenshot from a video of the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur (X)
A screenshot from a video of the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur (X)
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Advisor to RSF Leader Denies Plans for New Government in Darfur

 A screenshot from a video of the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur (X)
A screenshot from a video of the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur (X)

Haroun Medikhar, advisor to the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), denied on Monday any intention of establishing a parallel government in Darfur after the RSF gained control of several strategic areas in the region.

“We do not declare a government; the government is declared by the people,” Medikhar told Arab World Press (AWP).

“It is the people who are now organizing themselves and forming their popular government to manage their local affairs until there is peace in the country,” he explained.

“Our vision is for people to manage their local affairs through popular administration until life returns to normal,” added Medikhar, emphasizing that security will be stable in the areas controlled by the RSF.

Over the past two weeks, the RSF seized control of the cities of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, and Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state.

They have also taken control of one of the military headquarters in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.

“The war is ongoing from both sides, not just by the RSF alone,” said Medikhar in response to a question about the reasons behind the continued RSF targeting of locations and attempts to expand control on the ground, despite ongoing negotiations with the Sudanese army in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Medikhar expressed his belief that there are entities with influence over the army’s decisions “who are not interested in negotiations.”

The RSF have perceived a lack of seriousness from the army delegation, explained Medikhar.

“Islamists are in control of decisions within the Sudanese armed forces,” he said.

Medikhar reiterated that the RSF strongly desires reaching a ceasefire, emphasizing that their delegation has not left Jeddah, where negotiations with the army are taking place.

It is noteworthy that negotiations between the RSF and the Sudanese army have resumed with the sponsorship of Saudi Arabia and the US after a months-long hiatus.

 

 



Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.