Khartoum, Aug 28 (EFE).- Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has called for a “lasting ceasefire” with the army as the first step toward peace and potentially ending the power struggle between the two warring groups.
RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo presented a roadmap for a comprehensive political solution that “must address the root causes of Sudan’s wars through a broad and inclusive dialogue involving all civil stakeholders.”
Daglo posted the proposal late on Sunday on the social media platform X, formerly called Twitter.
He said the war that began on April 15 between the RSF and the army “reflects the deep-seated crisis of governance Sudan has experienced since independence.
This peace initiative follows over 19 weeks of power struggle between the RSF and the army.
The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the powerful paramilitary, led by Daglo, jointly orchestrated a military coup in October 2021 against the transitional civilian government formed after the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Over time, differences between the two generals escalated before culminating in a full-scale civil war in April of this year after weeks of simmering tension over the integration of the RSF into the military.
Both sides have blamed each other for the the war, which has claimed between 1,000 to 4,000 lives, displaced millions from their homes, and pushed nearly a million to flee across Sudanese borders,
Daglo appeared open to negotiating a settlement with the army to shape the nation’s future, establishing inclusive national institutions rooted in “democratic values” and overseen by an elected government.
“Efforts to end the protracted crisis must be directed toward achieving a lasting ceasefire,” he said.
The general underlined the necessity of dismantling “illegitimate monopolistic tendencies of power and influence…to give power back to the masses.”
“Sudan must be founded as a genuine republic where power and influence are held by all Sudanese citizens, who could differ in political status only through fair and free elections within a genuine federal democratic system that is based on power-sharing and participation.”
Daglo stressed the importance of forming “a new Sudanese army from the existing multiple forces” to create “a single, professional, national military institution that remains apolitical.”
He emphasized the just representation of Sudan’s regions, especially marginalized areas that have suffered from the ravages of war for an extended period.
This includes Darfur, where an ethnic conflict between 2003 and 2008 resulted in over 300,000 deaths, according to the UN.
The RSF peace roadmap emerges amid stalled ceasefire talks while the army claims advancements in the ongoing war. EFE
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