Sudan’s Burhan Sacks Rapid Support Force Commander From Sovereign Coun…
On May 19, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese army and head of the country’s Sovereign Council, issued a decree sacking paramilitary Rapid Response Force (RSF) commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, from his position as deputy of the council with immediate effect.
According to al-Burhan’s decree, Hemedti was replaced by Malik Agar, who is also a member of the Sudanese Sovereign Council.
Al-Burhan and Hemedti ruled Sudan together as the president and vice-president of the so-called Sovereign Council after a coup in October 2021.
In mid-April, an armed conflict broke out between the two leaders as a result of a disagreement over how the RSF should be integrated into the army and what authority should oversee the process during transition to civilian-led rule in the country.
The army and the RSF agreed to start talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah earlier this month after pressure from the kingdom and the United States.
The two sides made a slight breakthrough last week after signing an agreement that commits to protecting Sudanese civilians. However, clashes continued in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the country in the following days.
The conflict has so far claimed the lives of at least 1,000 people and wounded more than 5,000 others, according to Sudanese medical sources.
Al-Burhan’s decision to sack Hemedti will lead to further military escalation in Sudan. It could also hinder talks in Jeddah, which are meant to reach a permanent ceasefire. The country may be heading towards a lengthy civil war.
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