By John Ikani
Sudan’s conflict between its army and paramilitary forces has been further complicated as one of the dueling generals, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, declared his unwillingness to negotiate until fighting ends.
Despite Hemedti’s openness to dialogue, he insists that the ceasefire must remain in place: “Cease hostilities. After that, we can have negotiations.”
The general, who leads the paramilitary force battling the country’s army, accused army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of being responsible for the violence, stating that his fighters were relentlessly bombed since the truce was extended.
However, Gen Burhan has tentatively agreed to meet Hemedti for talks in South Sudan.
Following intense diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, the US, UK, and UN, a three-day ceasefire was extended, albeit uneasily, on Thursday night.
The fragile peace was short-lived, with air, tank, and artillery strikes continuing to ravage parts of Khartoum as of Saturday.
These ongoing hostilities make it unlikely that any significant dialogue will occur between the two rival military factions anytime soon.
Although Hemedti has voiced his commitment to democracy in the past, analysts have pointed out that his forces have brutally put down civilian protests.
Nonetheless, the general insisted to the BBC that his Rapid Support Force (RSF) fighters are not the military soldiers’ enemies.
Hemedti claimed that they are fighting to protect the country from “the relics of the government of the past 30 years.”
He stated that he would like to see a fully civilian government established “today – before tomorrow,” adding, “This is my principle.”
The ongoing conflict is a result of a coup in 2021 that saw Hemedti and Gen Burhan take full control, overturning an agreement to share power with civilians.
The two fell out over a proposed return to civilian rule, with a particular disagreement about the timeframe of incorporating Hemedti’s 100,000-strong RSF into the army.
Hemedti claimed he had no personal problem with Gen Burhan but regarded him as a traitor for bringing those loyal to former President Omar al-Bashir into the government.
Bashir’s regime, which was known for its strict imposition of a version of Sharia and Islamist ideology, was in power for thirty years before being ousted by the army and RSF together in 2019 following mass street protests.
