Sudan’s Sovereign Council deputy head vows victory in war against RSF

December 25, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – The Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Malik Agar expressed concern over the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) expansion into Al-Jazira State, but also reassured the public that victory is imminent.

In a speech to the Sudanese people on Monday evening, Agar acknowledged that the RSF’s gains in central Sudan are disturbing and have caused frustration among the populace. However, he emphasized that this does not signal the RSF’s victory over the Sudanese people and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

“I assure you that our military leaders are aware of your concerns,” Agar stated. “Every setback in the war is an opportunity to learn and improve. I am confident that the military leadership is studying the situation and preparing to launch a decisive victory.”

The RSF captured Al-Jazirah State on December 18, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the army’s withdrawal. The sudden retreat left civilians vulnerable to RSF attacks and forced many to flee.

Agar called on “national political and civil forces” to unite and form a broad front against the RSF and their supporters. He further criticized those who “support the rebellion” under various guises, seeking to undermine the civil voice and deceive the Sudanese people and the international community.

The deputy head of the Sovereign Council sharply condemned the political forces and foreign countries that support the RSF, characterizing the current conflict as an “occupation”.

“The occupation is destined to fail,” Agar declared. “No people will tolerate the occupation of their homeland. You are on the wrong side of history. Your conspiracy against the authorities and the regime has extended into a plot against the country and its people.”

Agar pointed out that Sudanese political parties have historically relied on the military to gain power, thus enmeshing the military in politics rather than fulfilling its constitutional duties.

“The blame lies not with the armed forces,” Agar asserted, “but with the parties that exploited the Sudanese army. By aligning with the RSF militia, driven by bitterness towards past regimes, especially the military ones, you made a grave error far exceeding the mistakes of past political parties that dragged the armed forces into politics.”

The military leadership and their political allies accuse the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition of supporting the RSF and inciting them to fight the army in their quest for power. However, leaders of the pro-democracy coalition have consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that they strived to avert conflict between the two parties until the last minute.

Agar addressed the countries that support the RSF occupation, stating, “We are aware of your vested interests, whether economic or otherwise, that drive you to support these occupying forces with money, weapons, and political and diplomatic cover.”

He warned that despite their financial backing of the RSF, these countries will not achieve their goal of controlling Sudan and will face inevitable resistance.

The deputy chairman of the Sovereign Council asserted that blaming the Islamist group for the war is misplaced, attributing responsibility to the party that seized the Marawi base on April 13, 2023, and defied the Sudanese army’s command to withdraw.

Agar reiterated the Sudanese government’s adherence to the four-stage roadmap to end the war and emphasized that any meaningful platform must consider the Sudanese people’s desire for lasting peace, not temporary ceasefires.

He called for a serious platform, noting that previous initiatives including the Jeddah process have failed to end the conflict. The Sudanese official criticized the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) initiative, stating, “IGAD has been stricken by the disease of desertification that its purpose is to combat.”

Recently, there were reports about a direct meeting between the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” facilitated by the IGAD.

(ST)