Hamdok pledges victory and vows to hold violators accountable
"Positive" UN meetings aim to deliver aid to areas suffering from worsening humanitarian crises in North Darfur State
The commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hamdok“, pledged victory to his soldiers and assured them they would triumph in the ongoing war with the Sudanese army, while simultaneously warning that “those who commit violations will be brought to fair accountability,” and advising his forces to “double efforts and maintain citizen security, and not to tolerate any lawlessness threatening the stability of innocent citizens.”
Dagalo stated in an audio recording on his Telegram account that his forces “will triumph for the will of our people and the victims of wars, the oppressed, victims of aerial bombardment, loss, and marginalization, and our choice is victory or victory, and with the will of Almighty God, we will triumph for the will of our people, our unity, and our great homeland.”
He added that “we will not provide protection to troublemakers, and any individual threatening people’s lives or committing any violations against them will be brought to fair trial.”
It has been a year since the outbreak of the civil war in Sudan, leaving behind massive destruction and unbearable human suffering. Despite sustained international efforts, there remains little prospect of reaching a solution as conflict escalates over time, and Sudanese army chief Abdul Fattah al-Burhan refuses to sit at the negotiation table to end the war.
Dagalo congratulated his soldiers on their victories in the al-Jazirah, west Sennar, and Faw regions, despite the enemy and mercenaries’ presence, stressing that the Rapid Support Forces have no choice but victory. He added, “We will triumph for the will of our people, our unity, for our great homeland, and for the victims of wars, the oppressed, and the displaced, victims of deliberate aerial bombardment in Khartoum, al-Jazirah, Kordofan, and Darfur, and for the victims of poverty and marginalization in eastern Sudan, al-Jazirah, the Blue Nile, Kordofan, northern Sudan, and Darfur.”
Some countries in the region are attempting to position themselves to mediate between the parties and engage with them to reach a settlement. While Hamdok has repeatedly welcomed these initiatives and expressed readiness to accept them, al-Burhan continues to reject them and impose impossible conditions to obstruct them, prolonging the duration of the war.
On Wednesday, al-Burhan pledged not to hand over the country’s leadership “to any internal or external party.” He stated in a speech on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in Al-Qadarif State, “This state will only be run by those who resisted the injustice and violations of militias, and we will not have any discussion until the battle with the rebels is over,” referring to the Rapid Support Forces.
He emphasized that “the armed forces, regular forces, armed struggle movements, popular resistance, mobilized people, and the Sudanese people will defeat these rebels.”
He pointed out that “this battle with the rebels has seen distinctions in the ranks, and anyone who betrays the people will have no place among the Sudanese, even if we leave,” he said.
This comes as Toby Harward, the UN Deputy Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, stated on Wednesday that “positive” meetings had been held in recent days with authorities and military parties in the cities of Mellite and Al-Fashir in North Darfur State, which are experiencing severe humanitarian crises.
Harward added on the “X” platform that discussions during the meetings focused on the need to deliver humanitarian assistance without obstacles to the states affected by the conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, warning of the imminent death of “thousands” if the UN does not secure sufficient funding to respond to the humanitarian disaster in Sudan.
So far, funding for the humanitarian response plan in Sudan has only reached 6%, while funding for the regional response plan for refugees for 2024 has reached 7%, according to “France Presse”.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed regret at the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, as Sudan and Gaza face both conflict and famine. He said in a video message on the “X” platform on Wednesday, “Every year, I extend my best wishes to Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.”
He added, “My heart is broken because in Gaza, Sudan, and many other places, due to conflict and famine, many Muslims will not be able to celebrate properly.”
