Sudan's Hamdok Calls for Urgent Meeting with Army After RSF Agreement

Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo with Kenyan President William Ruto (RSF media office)
Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo with Kenyan President William Ruto (RSF media office)
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Sudan's Hamdok Calls for Urgent Meeting with Army After RSF Agreement

Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo with Kenyan President William Ruto (RSF media office)
Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo with Kenyan President William Ruto (RSF media office)

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok invited the Sudanese army leadership for an "urgent meeting" to halt the ongoing conflict and prevent further disintegration of the country.

Hamdok, in his capacity as head of the leadership body of the Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), signed an agreement with the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), the "Addis Ababa Declaration," after the meetings.

A joint statement from the delegations emphasized their commitment to ending the conflict.

Hamdok expressed optimism about the agreement, stating, "Its outcomes will undoubtedly contribute to the efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Sudan."

The former Prime Minister highlighted key outcomes of the Addis Ababa meetings, including RSF's full readiness for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, measures to protect civilians, facilitating the return of citizens to their homes, delivering humanitarian aid, and cooperating with the fact-finding committee.

A Taqaddum delegation, led by Hamdok, began a visit to Djibouti. He met President Ismail Omar Guelleh, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) chair.

IGAD is seeking a meeting between the army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and Hemedti to stop the war.

A source told Asharq Al-Awsat that during the meeting with Guelleh and his Foreign Minister, the Taqaddum delegation introduced the Coordination and the civilian forces it represents and its agreement with the RSF leadership.

They expressed their desire to hold a similar meeting with the army leadership.

The source explained that the delegation urged IGAD to intensify its efforts to ensure the success of the planned negotiation between the army commanders, with a focus on involving civilians in the process, as outlined in the Addis Ababa Declaration.

Meanwhile, the Rapid Support Commander held discussions with Kenyan President William Ruto, addressing recent developments in Sudan, the root of the conflict's causes, ways to resolve the crisis, and ways to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

Hemedti said he arrived in Nairobi as part of a broader tour to Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya. The visits will consist of other African, Arab, and regional countries, which he did not specify.

He presented President Ruto with his vision for a ceasefire and negotiations to achieve a comprehensive solution to achieve a just peace in the country.

Hemedti sensed an understanding and desire from the Kenyan President to collaborate with all parties to find a way out of the crisis that would restore security and stability to Sudan.



157,000 Sudanese Students Unable to Take Secondary Certificate Exams Over War

Students sitting for exams in Port Sudan Saturday (AFP)
Students sitting for exams in Port Sudan Saturday (AFP)
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157,000 Sudanese Students Unable to Take Secondary Certificate Exams Over War

Students sitting for exams in Port Sudan Saturday (AFP)
Students sitting for exams in Port Sudan Saturday (AFP)

Amid widespread confusion and deep concerns, Sudan’s secondary certificate exams began on Saturday in select parts of the country and abroad. However, approximately 157,000 students from regions under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were unable to sit for the tests, raising fears of an unprecedented educational divide.

According to the Ministry of Education, over 343,000 students—around 70% of the approximately 500,000 registered candidates—are expected to take the postponed 2023 exams. This figure may decrease further due to the loss of thousands of seating numbers and the postponement of exams in South and West Kordofan. Official statistics confirm that 157,000 students were excluded from sitting for their tests due to the ongoing war.

Education has become a significant casualty of the war, which has raged for over 20 months. The government, now operating out of Port Sudan, resolved to conduct the exams in areas under army control, despite RSF objections. The RSF warned that this decision could have dire consequences for thousands of students and exacerbate divisions within the country.

Fears are mounting over potential attacks on exam centers, especially in conflict-ridden areas like Karari in Omdurman, north of Khartoum, where intense artillery shelling has persisted. Similar concerns extend to other regions near the conflict zones.

The Ministry of Education, however, assured that robust security measures have been implemented to protect centers in safer states, including Northern State, River Nile, Gedaref, Kassala, and North Kordofan.

Qareeb Allah Mohamed, the acting Minister of Education in Khartoum State, told Asharq Al-Awsat that seating numbers had been issued to all students wishing to take the exams. He affirmed that all necessary preparations were completed to accommodate candidates in Khartoum and other states.

Sami Al-Baqer, spokesperson for the Independent Teachers’ Union, criticized the decision of the Port Sudan-based government to conduct exams under the current circumstances. He argued that poor organization and timing had effectively denied over 60% of students their right to participate.

He held the government fully responsible for the potential consequences of its decision, stating that these exams pose risks to students, teachers, and the country.

Union statistics indicate that tens of thousands of students across eight states—Darfur, Greater Kordofan, parts of Khartoum, Gezira, and other insecure regions—are unable to sit for the exams.

Students in RSF-controlled areas were not the only ones affected. Authorities in Chad also declined to host exams for approximately 13,000 students from Sudan’s Darfur region, which borders Chad.

Ahmed Khalifa, Sudan’s acting Minister of Education, had previously announced that students unable to sit for these exams would have another opportunity in March, with plans for additional exams to ensure their integration into the same academic cohort.

Since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF in April 2023, education has been entirely disrupted in conflict zones, while classes have resumed in safer areas.

According to UNICEF, the ongoing war has prevented 12 million Sudanese students at all educational levels from continuing their studies.