RSF Pledges to Preserve Sudan’s Unity

Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)
Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)
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RSF Pledges to Preserve Sudan’s Unity

Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)
Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)

Deputy commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Abdulrahim Hamdan Daglo pledged on Tuesday to permanently eliminate remnants of the ousted regime and to hold to account anyone found guilty in violations in the country.

In a rare appearance, he declared: “Our war is against enemies of the nation who ruled for 30 years, destroyed Sudan, displaced its people and plunged them in poverty.”

“It is time to eliminate this gang for good,” he said in a video that was posted on the X platform.

Moreover, he warned that the remnants of the regime were making “dangerous” claims that the RSF’s capture of three Darfur provinces was a precursor to Sudan’s division.

“Sudan’s unity and people are a red line. We won’t allow anyone to harm them,” declared Daglo, who is the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly known as Hemedti.

War broke out in Sudan between the RSF and army in mid-April. The conflict erupted over a plan to integrate the RSF and the army, four years after they worked together to oust veteran leader Omar al-Bashir during a popular uprising.

The RSF quickly seized swathes of Khartoum and supply routes running west, before gradually forcing army retreats in parts of the vast Darfur and Kordofan regions and south of the capital.

From late October the RSF took over army headquarters in Nyala, Zalingei and El Geneina, three of five Darfur state capitals.

Abdulrahim vowed that the RSF will thwart attempts to stoke strife in Darfur.

“We are working towards a united Sudan where people can live together without discrimination and marginalization,” he added.

The RSF, he continued, is responsible for protecting civilians and public and private properties. “We are up to the task in spite of the challenges,” he stressed.

Furthermore, he said the RSF “stands at an equal distance” from all segments of Darfur.

“We are fighting to end the injustice in Darfur and any region in Sudan,” Abdulrahim stated. “We will not hesitate in holding to account anyone who violates the rights of others or threatens their security and safety.”

Moreover, he called on the people of Darfur to show tolerance and forgiveness and shun hatred and discrimination to thwart the plans of those seeking strife.

He also urged refugees and the displaced to return to their homes to resume their normal lives, saying they had nothing to fear.

Turning to the armed groups in Darfur, Abdulrahim said they must assume their duties alongside the RSF in providing security and stability in the region, “which has witnessed massive suffering.”

He called on international and regional humanitarian organizations to offer needed aid to the people of Darfur, saying the RSF will ensure their safe and smooth delivery.

The US Treasury had in September imposed sanctions on Abdulrahim for dangerous violations committed during the conflict with the army in Darfur.

The RSF and its affiliated militias have been accused of being involved in the murder and forced displacement of people in west Darfur.



Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).