Democratic Bloc figure says priority is to stop RSF abuses against civilians
October 2, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Altom Hajo, a leader of the Democratic Bloc coalition, condemned the violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against civilians in Khartoum and said that the priority now is to stop them, whether by peace or by war.
When the armed conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, leaders of the Democratic Bloc proclaimed their neutrality in the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. They called for an end to hostilities and advocated for negotiations to resolve the differences among the various factions within the military establishment.
During a recent interview with Al Jazeera in Port Sudan on Monday, Hajo accused the RSF of orchestrating the war against the Sudanese army. He pointed out that paramilitary leaders had mobilized 100,000 troops in Khartoum and arrested the Inspector General of the Army and senior army commanders while they were in their homes in the early morning. He emphasized that the RSF Command cannot continue to deny these facts in such a provocative manner.
Hajo further said that RSF fighters are raping women and displacing residents from their homes.
“Why target the Sudanese people, forcibly displace them from their homes, commit acts of sexual violence, and assert control over Khartoum? How can you claim to govern the capital when you cannot prevent rape and human rights violations?
When asked why he had abandoned his demand to stop the war and supported its continuation, Hajo said, “We cannot speak of halting the war while subjecting the Sudanese people to humiliation. The dignity of the Sudanese people must not be compromised. (…) My current goal is to halt these violations and end the humiliation of the Sudanese people, whether through peace or war.”
The Democratic Bloc, a breakaway faction from the Forces of Freedom and Change, includes notable groups such as the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi and the Justice and Equality Movement led by Gibril Ibrahim. This coalition lent its support to the coup on October 25, 2023, against the civilian government.
Regarding their support for this coup, Hajo regretted that the coup did not completely eradicate the “cancer that afflicted the country,” in reference to the Forces of Freedom and Change-Central Council.
The Democratic Bloc forces had opposed the Framework Political Agreement, which was intended to facilitate the integration of the RSF into the Sudanese army and establish a government comprised of non-political elements to oversee future elections.
(ST)