Sudan’s RSF militia, ICRC sign agreement

December 14, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF)  in Sudan and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Tuesday signed an agreement to support the integration of the rules of international humanitarian law in the training of the notorious militia.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Brig Gen Mohamed Ahmed Abbas Ornaser, Director of the Human Rights Training Department, and Pascal Cuttat, the head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan.

The signing ceremony was attended by the RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemetti) who described the agreement as a “strategic step” in line with the ongoing efforts to establish trained forces committed to international law.

The RSF which is officially tasked with combating illegal migration and illicit human trafficking have been established to protect the al-Bashi regime and fight rebel armed groups.

The forces, which grew out of the Janjaweed militias that committed atrocities and war crimes in Darfur, have been involved in the bloody attacks on peaceful protesters in Khartoum after the collapse of the former regime.

Hemetti still resists efforts to integrate his militiamen into the national army as provided in the constitutional declaration governing the transition.

In a tweet posted after the signing of the MoU, Cuttat said the two parties would work together to ensure that RSF officers and soldiers are trained on “the scope and applicability of the Geneva Conventions and other provisions of Human Rights Law”.

The ICRC used to engage in dialogue with armed and security forces and rebels groups worldwide to promote respect for the basic rules of international humanitarian law.

(ST)