Mediators say the RSF head assured them of his willingness to sit with al-Burhan after the situation between the parties escalated.
The head of a powerful Sudanese paramilitary group has said he is ready to meet with the army chief and chief of the country’s governing council to de-escalate military tensions that have raised fears of an armed confrontation, a statement said. a group of mediators.
The military on Thursday warned of a possible clash with members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in the most public sign of long-simmering disagreements hampering efforts to restore civilian rule. The RSF began redeploying units in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere last month as it talks about its integration into the army under a transition plan leading to new elections.
The situation escalated after the deployment of some RSF personnel near a major military airport in the northern town of Merowe on Wednesday, prompting the army to issue a statement saying the movements were illegal.
RSF Chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known in Sudan as Hemeti, is deputy leader of the ruling Sovereign Council headed by Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
After the widening rift came to light on Thursday, several local and international players stepped forward with mediation offers, including Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, Darfur Governor Minni Minawi, and Sovereign Council member Malik Agar, three former rebel leaders who posts after a peace agreement in 2020.
“After an honest and serious conversation, [Dagalo] assured us of his total commitment not to escalate, and his willingness to sit with his brother, the head of the Sovereign Council, and his brothers in the armed forces at any time and without preconditions,” the three men said in a statement. .
Disagreements continue
Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said political parties in Sudan have tried to mediate between the two sides, urging them to “use wisdom rather than violence to resolve the differences”.
“People in Sudan are concerned that it could turn into all-out war between the two sides,” Morgan said. “Both are armed and have military forces across the country.”
She said that despite positive reports from the rival camps, the situation in Merowe remained the same.
“In fact, the commander of the forces in Merowe has told Al Jazeera that more reinforcements are arriving for the Rapid Support Forces, despite the army asking the RSF to withdraw their positions,” Morgan added.
Sources close to al-Burhan and Hemeti were quoted by the Reuters news agency on Friday as saying the two men remain at odds over who will become the army’s commander-in-chief during a multi-year integration period, which the RSF says will make the civilian head of state, a situation the army rejects. .
Army sources told Reuters that to avoid de-escalation, the RSF had to withdraw its forces from Merowe and that its movements had to be in coordination with the military and within legal limits.
Operating under a special law and with its own chain of command, the RSF is a powerful former militia that has been accused of widespread human rights violations, particularly during the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region. Dagalo climbed the Sudanese political ladder by serving under former leader Omar al-Bashir, under whom the armed forces were recognized in 2017. Al-Bashir was removed after a massive protest movement against him in 2019.
The army then agreed to share power with civilians ahead of the election, but that arrangement was abruptly halted by a coup by the army and the RSF in October 2021, which sparked new massive pro-democracy rallies across Sudan.
Separately, envoys and representatives from France, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union issued a joint statement on Thursday expressing deep concern at the heightened tensions.
“Escalating actions threaten to derail negotiations on the establishment of a civilian-led transitional government. We call on Sudan’s military and civilian leaders to take active steps to defuse tensions. We urge them to honor their commitments and engage constructively to resolve outstanding security sector reform issues to create a future unified, professional military that is accountable to a civilian government,” the statement said.