Khartoum (EFE).- The leader of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti), ruled out Sudan’s division after rebels imposed a siege on Al Fashir, the army’s last stronghold in the vast western region of Darfur, on Sunday.
“The liberation of Al Fashir is not a step towards separation, but the unity of Sudan. Whether in times of peace or war, this marks a decisive turn towards national unity,” Hemedti stated in a 25-minute video shared through RSF communication channels.
He stated that fears that the fall of Al Fashir would mean dividing the country into the west (RSF) and the east (Army) are unfounded and were stimulated by the Sudanese government, controlled by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s military junta, as well as by “intelligence spokesmen.”
“Anyone who calls for the division of Darfur, Kordofan, the east, or the north does not see reality. We will never give up an inch of our land. We will not accept any discussion about the division of Sudan. Sudan will remain united and will not be dismembered,” he said.
According to Hemedti, “The war in Al Fashir has ended, and a new era of peace has begun,” despite the paramilitaries imposing a siege on the city since May 2024 and launching nearly 300 attacks that have killed hundreds of people and prevented access to humanitarian aid.
Mercenaries from Colombia, Chad, and South Sudan participated in the capture of Al Fashir, according to the Sudanese government, which has denounced the murder and extrajudicial execution of thousands of civilians in the capital of North Darfur state since its fall on Sunday, describing it as “ethnic cleansing.”
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization reported that over 460 patients and companions were killed in an attack on the Saudi Maternal Hospital in Al Fashir following the paramilitaries’ capture of the area.
In his speech, Hemedti acknowledged “some violations,” which is why he announced the formation of an investigative committee already in Al Fashir. However, he did not offer details about the committee’s composition or its tasks.
“The investigative commission will immediately begin to examine and hold accountable any officer or soldier who exceeded their limits or violated the rights of others. They will be arrested and sentenced immediately,” he said.
Several human rights organizations and countries have accused the RSF of committing war crimes and offences against humanity during the war in Sudan, which began on Apr. 15, 2023. The Sudanese government, meanwhile, denounces the paramilitaries for committing “genocide” in Darfur over the past two and a half years of conflict.
The war in Sudan has caused tens of thousands of deaths, with estimates reaching over 150,000, and has forced over 13 million people to flee their homes. It has also turned Sudan into the site of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. EFE
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