Sudan's Dagalo Commits to De-escalate Tensions with Army

Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. (Reuters)
Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. (Reuters)
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Sudan's Dagalo Commits to De-escalate Tensions with Army

Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. (Reuters)
Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. (Reuters)

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, said he was ready to meet the army chief to de-escalate a rift between his RSF and the armed forces, mediators said on Friday.

The army on Thursday warned of a possible confrontation between the two forces in the most public sign of long-simmering disagreements that are hampering efforts to restore civilian rule.

The RSF began redeploying units in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere amid talks last month on its integration into the military under a transition plan leading to new elections.

Dagalo, better known in Sudan as Hemedti, is deputy leader of the ruling Sovereign Council headed by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Sources close to both men said on Friday that they still remain at odds over who would be the commander-in-chief of the military during a multi-year integration period, which the RSF says should be the civilian head of state, a situation the army rejects.

After the growing rift surfaced on Thursday several local and international players stepped forward with offers of mediation, including Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, Darfur Governor Minni Minawi and Sovereign Council member Malik Agar, three former rebel leaders who received posts following a 2020 peace deal.

"After an honest and serious conversation, assured us of his total commitment to not escalate, and his readiness to sit with his brother the head of the Sovereign Council and his brothers in the armed forces at any time and without condition," a statement from the three men said.

Army sources told Reuters that in order to de-escalate the RSF needed to withdraw its forces from Merowe, and that its movements needed to happen in coordination with the military and within legal limits.



Qatar and Egypt See Some Progress in Gaza Ceasefire Talks

 Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 25, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 25, 2025. (Reuters)
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Qatar and Egypt See Some Progress in Gaza Ceasefire Talks

 Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 25, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 25, 2025. (Reuters)

There has been some progress in the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks, mediators Qatar and Egypt said in a joint statement on Friday.

Suspending the negotiations to hold consultations before resuming talks is normal in the context of these complex negotiations, they said.

The ceasefire mediators affirmed their commitment to continuing their efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza in partnership with the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both saying it had become clear that the Palestinian group did not want a deal.

Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling "alternative" options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave, where starvation is spreading and most of the population is homeless amid widespread ruin.

Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be "hunted down", telling reporters at the White House: "Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job."

Israel and the United States withdrew their delegations on Thursday from the ceasefire talks in Qatar, hours after Hamas submitted its response to a truce proposal.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Facebook that the talks had been constructive.