Hemeti’s response to Dbeibah’s initiative confirms al-Burhan’s stance as an impediment to peace
The Rapid Support Forces carry out operations against the Sudanese army north of Khartoum, as al-Burhan insists on the war option
The commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemeti,” announced his compliance with the invitation of the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government in Libya, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, to visit Libya and discuss a new initiative to support stability and peace in Sudan, while battles continue north of Khartoum where the Rapid Support Forces targeted army positions.
Local media quoted Hamditi as saying that during a phone call with Dbeibah, efforts to end the war and achieve peace in the country were discussed.
Hamditi made visits to East and Central African countries in the last week of December 2023, in his first public appearance outside Sudan since the outbreak of the war between his forces and the Sudanese army on April 15 last year. He visited Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and South Africa, as well as Rwanda at the beginning of January.
At his various stops, Hemeti amplified signs of openness, stating that he presented his vision to start negotiations in Uganda and discussed in Ethiopia the urgent need to end this war quickly, confirming in Djibouti to President Ismail Omar Guelleh his desire to end the war and reach a comprehensive solution, and in South Africa, he explained the efforts made to end the war at the Jeddah Forum as well as by the IGAD and their full readiness to stop the war. The IGAD, chaired by Djibouti, intensified its efforts to urge the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Hemeti, and the army chief, Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, to negotiate.
The two military leaders have not met since the start of the war, which has resulted in 13,000 deaths, according to estimates by ACLED, a figure believed to be lower than the actual toll. The fighting has also displaced more than eight million people, according to the United Nations. While al-Burhan is betting on war to achieve his ambitions in Sudan, the fighting intensifies, and the Rapid Support Forces continue to conduct “qualitative operations” on several fronts against the army. It stated on its Twitter account that it conducted a major operation targeting army positions in the Wadi Seidna area and North Khartoum on Saturday.
The Rapid Support Forces succeeded in destroying an Antonov aircraft from the fleet and injuring its crew, the aircraft dropping explosive barrels on the heads of innocent civilians in various Sudanese cities. A second operation targeted the North Khartoum area where several cannons and military vehicles were destroyed. The Sudanese army faces accusations of human rights violations, but it continues to deny them in the same way it continues to reject peace and dialogue initiatives on various pretexts, thereby exacerbating the burden of war on Sudanese people.
The Sudanese News Agency “SUNA” reported that the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is under al-Burhan, issued a press release stating: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its astonishment and rejection of the baseless accusations contained in the US State Department’s statement on Friday against the armed forces and the Sudanese government regarding humanitarian aid and civilian activities”.
The United States condemned last Thursday the blocking of humanitarian aid to Sudan and called on the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Sudan.
The US State Department statement said, “The United States is deeply concerned about the recent decision by the Sudanese armed forces to block cross-border humanitarian aid from Chad, as well as reports that the Sudanese armed forces are hindering the delivery of aid to local communities in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.”
