Sudanese retired Major General Kamal Ismail accused the Muslim Brotherhood of sparking the war in his country in April 2023.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he added that the Brotherhood, which is also known as the Islamic Movement, then “hid behind the army” under the pretext of supporting it.
He remarked that the Brotherhood has an interest in launching a war, warning however, that it could ultimately lead to a civil conflict in Sudan.
The best solution lies in ending the war through negotiations, Ismail added from Addis Ababa.
“The Brotherhood does not want to end the war or hold negotiations,” he went on to say.
Ismail retired in the 1990s along with hundreds of other officers, whose service was terminated “for the general good” when the Islamists, under Omar al-Bashir, seized power.
He had taken part in several operations led by the armed Sudanese opposition against Muslim Brotherhood rule in the country.
Ismail was one of the mediators who took part in talks between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after the war erupted last year.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that before the conflict broke out, the Muslim Brotherhood had carried out campaigns to incite the army and RSF to war.
He explained that the Brotherhood wanted to seek revenge against the revolution and restore its rule in the country.
Heavy losses
He expressed his surprise at the losses incurred by the army, blaming them on poor leadership and planning.
The weakening of the army, he said, dates back to 1990. Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi dismissed the army at the time as a mercenary group. He then declared the formation of a “jihadist” army, marking the beginning of the weakening of the military.
Soon after, over 500 officers were forced into retirement and forces parallel to the army were formed, such as the Popular Defense Forces and other militias, Ismail said.
The army’s combat ability was weakened as a result, and this was evident as soon as the war with the RSF erupted.
He explained that the military had formed the RSF and trained its members. Some 300 officers joined the RSF, making it a formidable force. In turn, the army was neglected and failed to train on urban warfare, which is what is taking place in the country.
“Such warfare is unacceptable because it ends up using civilians as human shields. The army is not trained for this,” Ismail added.
“Urban warfare needs preparations, information and infantry. The army clearly doesn’t have enough infantry units, while the RSF was originally formed of these forces,” he continued.
The army is better equipped than the RSF, as shown by its air power, artillery and armored vehicles. However, these factors aren’t enough to win the war. It needs infantry, he stressed.
Moreover, the army had declared at the beginning of the conflict that it would be able to secure victory within hours. The hours turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, with the RSF making more advances on the ground, noted Ismail.
This is evidently a sign of wrong information obtained by the army during the early days of the war, he explained.
Ultimately, no one will emerge from this war victorious, regardless of the situation on the ground. “The Sudanese people are biggest losers. They are suffering from the war and we're working on ending it,” he stated.
He warned that if any party in the war refuses to end it, “then it could stretch on for dozens of years.” If this happens, Sudan could end up like Libya, with multiple administrations.
The “only solution” lies in negotiations, he stressed. “The sound of reason must prevail now.”
Lack of planning
Ismail blamed the large number of casualties in army officers on a lack of planning for war and poor training.
He said that “they lacked offensive and defensive plans. Yes, the war was predicted, but the planning for it was not enough. This was clear to us.”
“This is why we turned to our brothers [in the RSF] so that they could agree to negotiations and so we can build a unified professional army,” he added.
Furthermore, Ismail said the military’s moral, financial and human losses in the past nine months have taken a toll on it.
The people are tired of war and want it to end at any cost, he stated.
He warned that the prolongation of the conflict would lead to civil war. He noted that Sudan is diverse in its tribes, but also suffers from discrimination.
“We must recognize our diversity and tackle our social, political and military differences. This can only happen through negotiations,” Ismail urged.
