Joint Forces leader denies rift with Shield Forces, criticizes security deal delays
March 15, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – The head of Sudan’s Joint Forces and leader of a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) on Saturday denied any rift with the Sudan Shield Forces while criticizing delays in implementing a key security agreement.
Speaking at a Ramadan Iftar meal, Minni Arko Minawi said, “The Joint Forces and the Sudan Shield Forces fought the battles of Al-Jazirah together. There is no truth to any disagreements.”
Social media platforms have reported heated exchanges between supporters of the two groups. Human rights organizations have accused the Sudan Shield Forces of committing human rights abuses against residents of Al-Kanabi during operations to regain control of Al-Jazirah state. Al-Kanabi designates areas settled by farm workers originating from western Sudan, West Africa, and South Sudan.
Leaders of the Joint Forces condemned the alleged abuses, and Sudan’s Sovereignty Council formed a committee to investigate. The committee has not yet released its findings.
Minawi defended his forces’ refusal to integrate into the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the security arrangements of the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement. He accused unnamed parties of stalling the completion of those arrangements.
“The ball is now in the court of the armed forces,” he added.
Parties to the Juba Agreement and the military component of Sudan’s transitional government have repeatedly traded accusations of delaying the implementation of security arrangements.
Minawi praised relations with Eritrea, saying President Isaias Afwerki was paying close attention to the crisis in Sudan.
He also called for ending ideological conflict in Sudan, stating that “the global conflict today revolves around the economy and resources.” He criticized both Islamists and communists, accusing the Communist Party of engaging in espionage through civil society organizations.
He urged a focus on “productive ideas” and an end to ideological fanaticism, which he said had brought the country to a “bottleneck.”
Minawi stressed the need for reconciliation and tolerance after the war ends. “Reconciliation with the Islamists should have taken place after the fall of Bashir,” he said, referring to former President Omer al-Bashir. He emphasized the importance of a genuine national dialogue to avoid past mistakes.
Regarding the legal status of the Darfur Regional Government, Minawi defended it as a product of the Juba Agreement.
The RSF controls most of the cities in Darfur, except for El Fasher and its surrounding areas, where fighting has been ongoing since May.