Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, demanded real peace in the country, instead of a truce, which he said could be exploited by the army, his rival in the ongoing conflict.
Hemedti said this should be a condition to signing an agreement at the Jeddah negotiations between the RSF and military.
He explained that the army could exploit a truce to regroup and rearm itself.
He made his remarks during a graduation ceremony of new RSF recruits on Thursday.
Hemedti declared that he supports “real peace.” Addressing the army, he stated: “We won’t accept any peace that allows you to regroup to wage a new war.”
The RSF commander’s appearance dismissed rumors, spread by army supporters and top politicians and diplomats, that said he had been killed months ago.
Furthermore, Hemedti urged his fighters against violating people’s properties in areas held by the RSF.
“We want you to protect the people and their properties,” he added.
The people have accused the RSF of committing violations against them during the conflict that erupted in mid-April. They have accused them of seizing people’s properties and homes and of committing murder.
Hemedti blamed Islamists for these crimes. He said they were released from prisons when the conflict erupted and their crimes have been blamed on the RSF as part of a “systematic campaign” against his forces.
He pledged to protect refugees and the displaced, calling on them to return to RSF-held regions. The invitation excluded Islamists and supporters of the National Congress Party.
Moreover, he proposed the formation of joint forces between the RSF and army in regions held by the military so that they can protect civilians.
Hemedti heavily criticized his ally-turned-rival Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the army. He held him responsible for the coups that have taken place in Sudan since the ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir's regime in April 2019.
He accused him of stoking tribal tensions in Darfur, Kordofan, the Blue Nile and Red Sea states.
Furthermore, he said the Islamists and National Congree Party chose Burhan to head the military transitional council so that “he could pursue their plot to destroy the RSF.”
Hemedti claimed that he did not want a position in power, “but Burhan persuaded me and ever since then, conspiracies have been plotted against the RSF.”
“They instead fell in the trap that they had set up for us,” he went on to say.
