Sudan’s Paramilitary Leader Acknowledges Setbacks, Vows to Expel Army from Khartoum
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, admits setbacks but vows to reclaim territory from the army amid ongoing conflict.
In a rare video address on Friday, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), acknowledged setbacks in the ongoing conflict with Sudan’s army but reiterated his commitment to expelling the army from Khartoum.
The war, which has been ongoing since April 2023, has led to tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has pushed millions to the brink of famine.
Dagalo’s RSF has faced significant opposition from the army, which recently made gains in Khartoum, breaking a nearly two-year siege of its General Command headquarters.
The army also recaptured its Signal Corps base in Khartoum North and expelled the RSF from the Jaili oil refinery.
In his address, Dagalo dismissed the army’s claims of victories, calling them rumors meant to influence public opinion.
Despite the army’s recent advances, Dagalo promised his forces that they would regain control of key locations, including the General Command and Signal Corps, which are strategic to the ongoing battle for control of Khartoum.
He emphasized that his troops had already expelled the army from these positions once and would do so again.
The RSF leader, commonly known as Hemeti, made the rare address from behind a desk in military fatigues.
While he has largely remained out of the public eye since the conflict began, his statements were clear in reinforcing his commitment to the RSF's cause.
The army, led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has seen recent successes, including reclaiming the capital’s Omdurman district and pushing into RSF-controlled Khartoum North, known as Bahri.
Clashes continued on Friday in the Kafouri neighborhood of Bahri, where the army is engaged with RSF fighters.
The United States recently imposed sanctions on both Dagalo and Al-Burhan, accusing them of human rights violations, including genocide and the deliberate targeting of civilians through the use of food deprivation as a weapon of war.
The war, which has been ongoing since April 2023, has led to tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has pushed millions to the brink of famine.
Dagalo’s RSF has faced significant opposition from the army, which recently made gains in Khartoum, breaking a nearly two-year siege of its General Command headquarters.
The army also recaptured its Signal Corps base in Khartoum North and expelled the RSF from the Jaili oil refinery.
In his address, Dagalo dismissed the army’s claims of victories, calling them rumors meant to influence public opinion.
Despite the army’s recent advances, Dagalo promised his forces that they would regain control of key locations, including the General Command and Signal Corps, which are strategic to the ongoing battle for control of Khartoum.
He emphasized that his troops had already expelled the army from these positions once and would do so again.
The RSF leader, commonly known as Hemeti, made the rare address from behind a desk in military fatigues.
While he has largely remained out of the public eye since the conflict began, his statements were clear in reinforcing his commitment to the RSF's cause.
The army, led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has seen recent successes, including reclaiming the capital’s Omdurman district and pushing into RSF-controlled Khartoum North, known as Bahri.
Clashes continued on Friday in the Kafouri neighborhood of Bahri, where the army is engaged with RSF fighters.
The United States recently imposed sanctions on both Dagalo and Al-Burhan, accusing them of human rights violations, including genocide and the deliberate targeting of civilians through the use of food deprivation as a weapon of war.
