Evidentiary Strategy: Leveraging Prisoners and Outcast Figures to Strengthen the Army
In the context of ongoing developments in Sudan, new reports reveal a strategy adopted by the Sudanese military. This strategic approach involves reintegrating former figures who had been previously detained, selecting them to be part of the army‘s leadership structure. This step reflects a shift in Sudan’s domestic policy, as the military seeks to harness the previous experiences and knowledge of these figures in the current crisis. These actions are part of ongoing efforts to achieve stability and crisis management in the country.
Who is General Sadiq Sayed?
General Sadiq Sayed is one of the prominent examples of this strategy, having been previously imprisoned on charges related to dispersing the General Command’s sit-in. Despite his prior record, he was released at the beginning of the Sudanese crisis and was appointed to a significant position within the Sudanese army. General Sadiq Sayed assumed the leadership of the armored forces, especially after the death of General Ayoub Abdelqader. This move demonstrates the military’s commitment to incorporating experienced and competent individuals, even if they faced legal challenges in the past. These actions underscore the Sudanese government’s commitment to integrating various skills into the army‘s structure to achieve stability and address future challenges in the country.
This officer, considered one of the influential figures within the Sudanese army‘s Islamic Movement, was appointed to serve in the Rapid Support Forces. He enjoyed broad powers, which allowed him to promote the internal orientations of the Rapid Support Forces by recruiting more officers loyal to the Islamic Movement and appointing more administrative staff who share the same political vision. The original plan of the Islamic Movement was to gain control of the Rapid Support Forces from within and then use it to eliminate the Sudanese army. However, the dispersal of the sit-in massacre raised doubts about this officer’s loyalty. As a result, the Rapid Support Forces leadership decided to try and detain him to investigate these allegations and maintain internal stability.
At the end of Ramadan in 2019, General Sadiq Sayed led a unit from the Loyalty and Shadow Battalions in an attack on the sit-in site. During this attack, he managed to kill over 400 young people in front of the army. As a result of his participation in this crime, General Sadiq Sayed was captured and held in Rapid Support Forces detention centers. The officer has not yet been referred to the Nabil Adib Committee, following warnings from the head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who confirmed that this officer would be tried according to military law.
After the outbreak of the war on April 15, a force of Islamists mobilized with their full military gear and attacked General Sadiq Sayed’s detention center. He was released along with 500 soldiers and officers who had participated in that massacre. General Sadiq Sayed appeared in military attire and took part in military operations, drawing the attention of the Rapid Support Forces and making this issue one of the reasons for the April 15 war. Afterward, General Sadiq Sayed disappeared, but due to the loss of a significant number of officers in the armored forces, his name resurfaced. This development is seen as evidence that Islamists are now engaging in battles themselves and in front of the public, as doubts arose about Burhan’s preoccupation and the possibility of him going to Jeddah for negotiations.
