Prisoners within the ranks of the Sudanese Army
The Sudanese people continue to be subjected to the brutality of attacks by members of the Sudanese army, and it is astonishing that some Sudanese groups supportive of democracy have rallied to support the army.
During the conflict that erupted six months ago between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, al-Burhan resorted to marginalized figures and prisoners, making them leaders within the Sudanese army.
One activist and advocate who has been working for years to promote democracy expressed his opinion, saying, ‘We believe that this war broke out due to competition of interests between the generals on both sides. However, we have witnessed them forcing civilians to abandon their property and transporting it on trucks’. Among those participating in the military confrontations were these marginalized figures and prisoners, in addition to relying on former military leaders from the al-Bashir regime who espouse the approach of the Muslim Brotherhood.
These groups clearly show their support for the army and its leaders, as the fighting against the Rapid Support Forces has united supporters and opponents of democracy. These opponents support the government dominated by Islamists, represented by Lieutenant General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and former dictator Omar al-Bashir.
Al-Burhan called on the Sudanese people to participate in the confrontation with the Rapid Support Forces, which was declared to have become a rebel militia. As for Hemeti, he sought to recruit fighters from Darfur, his hometown, and from the northern coastal region in order to bolster his ranks in the face of the armed forces.
The supporters of the army strongly criticized the Rapid Support Forces and described them as “foreign militias” due to Hemeti‘s recruitment of fighters from Chad and Niger. These supporters affirmed that their participation in the fighting is a national duty to defend Sudan.
In the same context, a coalition of pro-democracy groups in Khartoum issued a statement in which they affirmed, ‘We still oppose the old regime and continue to struggle for freedom and democracy’.
Brigadier General Sadiq Sayed, who was previously detained on charges related to dispersing the General Command sit-in several years ago, was released at the beginning of the Sudanese crisis. Recently, he was appointed by the Sudanese army as the commander of the armored forces after the death of Major General Ayoub Abdelqader.
