Hemedti Warns of ‘Options’ at his Disposal to Prevent Army from ‘Controlling Sudan’s Fate’

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo. (Reuters file)
Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo. (Reuters file)
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Hemedti Warns of ‘Options’ at his Disposal to Prevent Army from ‘Controlling Sudan’s Fate’

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo. (Reuters file)
Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo. (Reuters file)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo pledged on Monday to take action that would bar the army from ruling the country.

In a post on the X platform, he vowed to prevent “a group of terrified generals who fled the capital” from controlling Sudan’s fate.

He added that he has “several options” at his disposal that he may “have to carry out when necessary.” He did not elaborate.

He made his remarks in response to the army’s refusal to take part in the ongoing Geneva peace negotiations.

Officials met for a sixth day of talks in the Swiss capital on Monday without reaching a breakthrough. The army has refused to attend without a prior agreement on its demands. The RSF is present at the talks.

The military has been demanding that it act as the government representative at the talks and the withdrawal of RSF forces from residential areas.

It has also been calling for the implementation of the Jeddah Humanitarian Declaration, signed in May 2023, as a precursor for attending.

The Geneva talks are being held at the United States’ initiative and are being sponsored by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. The United Nations, African Union, Egypt and United Arab Emirates are attending.

The talks are aimed at reaching a ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid to the people. The army’s refusal to attend has been a major hurdle in ensuring their success.

“Burhan and his gang lack any real commitment to negotiate or work for the future of Sudan and easing the suffering of its people,” remarked Hemedti.

“Meanwhile, our negotiating delegation is in Geneva because it genuinely wants to reach a solution to the Sudanese crisis,” he stressed.

The army, he alleged, wants to preserve the interests of the ousted regime.

Hemedti reiterated his commitment to the negotiations “to achieve stability in Sudan.”

Moreover, he called on the gatherers in Geneva to take a “decisive position” to confront the “army’s recklessness towards the suffering of millions of Sudanese people and towards peace and stability.”



Hamas, Islamic Jihad Claim Responsibility for Bomb Blast in Tel Aviv 

Israeli security and emergency responders work at the site of a bomb blast in Tel Aviv, Israel August 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli security and emergency responders work at the site of a bomb blast in Tel Aviv, Israel August 18, 2024. (Reuters)
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Hamas, Islamic Jihad Claim Responsibility for Bomb Blast in Tel Aviv 

Israeli security and emergency responders work at the site of a bomb blast in Tel Aviv, Israel August 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli security and emergency responders work at the site of a bomb blast in Tel Aviv, Israel August 18, 2024. (Reuters)

The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility on Monday for a bomb blast near a synagogue in Tel Aviv that Israeli police and the Shin Bet intelligence agency described as a terrorist attack.

A man who was carrying the bomb was killed and a passerby was injured in the incident late on Sunday, according to police at the scene.

In their statement the Brigades added that their "martyrdom operations" inside Israel would return to the forefront as long as the "occupation's massacres and assassination policy continue" - an allusion to Israel's offensive in Gaza and the July 31 killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Israel has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh's death in the Iranian capital.

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 last year when Hamas gunmen stormed across the border into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military campaign has since levelled wide swathes of the Gaza Strip and killed at least 40,000 people, according to the enclave's health authorities.

Sunday's explosion in Tel Aviv came about an hour after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to push for a ceasefire in Gaza to end the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas.

There has been increased urgency to reach a ceasefire deal amid fears of an escalation across the wider region. Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Haniyeh.