Hemetti demands genuine commitment from Burhan to achieve peace in Sudan
October 2, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), declared that he would only endorse a peace agreement if the Sudanese army genuinely commits to peace and refrains from using it as a pretext for further military preparations.
In a video released on Thursday evening, Hemetti addressed a new cohort of RSF forces in Khartoum, emphasizing the significance of the ongoing Jeddah negotiations. He emphasized his support for authentic peace, rejecting any deceptive or insincere peace efforts.
Hemetti made it clear that the RSF would not tolerate a peace deal that allows the Sudanese army to procure aircraft, drones, or train additional personnel for mobilization. He also accused the Sudanese army of recruiting foreign mercenaries.
The Jeddah negotiations between the Sudanese army and the RSF resumed the previous Thursday after a hiatus that began in late May when the army delegation withdrew due to the RSF’s refusal to comply with their request to withdraw from urban areas.
Multiple sources have reported that the talks are currently stalled, primarily due to issues surrounding confidence-building measures and the RSF’s withdrawal from urban regions.
Hemetti urged his forces to target only those who disrupt the peace and to avoid any actions that infringe upon the dignity and property of civilians living in RSF-controlled areas. He emphasized that his forces do not intentionally harm civilians but instead confront what he described as Islamist elements, which include members of the intelligence service, Islamic Movement militias, and soldiers aligned with them who resist appeals to refrain from combat.
Hemetti encouraged displaced individuals and refugees to return to their home areas, vowing to provide them with protection. Furthermore, he urged the residents of regions under his control to select civilian administrations, with the condition that none of the dissolved National Congress Party members be chosen.
He also called upon the police to resume their regular duties in RSF-controlled areas, assuring them that his forces harbour no hostility towards them.
The Rapid Support Forces have faced accusations of being involved in various violations against civilians, including murder, sexual assault, abduction, and looting. Additionally, the U.S. administration has imposed sanctions on the second-in-command of the paramilitary forces and his brother for war crimes committed in El Geneina.
Hemetti revealed that, upon taking control of Nyala, he immediately directed his forces to cooperate with the joint force of the armed movements to protect civilians in the capital of South Darfur state. He advised these groups to collaborate with the army in regions under the control of its troops.
During his speech, Hemetti harshly criticized the army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, attributing responsibility for thwarted coups during the transitional period to him. Hemetti viewed al-Burhan as a tool for the Islamists to implement their agendas and accused him of releasing imprisoned Islamist leaders just days before the outbreak of the last April 15 war.
Furthermore, Hemetti accused al-Burhan of orchestrating tribal conflicts in various regions such as the Red Sea State, Blue Nile, Darfur, and Kordofan, all in a bid to cling to power.
(ST)