The three guises of RSF terrorist group leader Hemeti

Report from Radio Dabanga website
Dated Thursday, 8 February 2024, 13:17 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan war: Hemedti laments human suffering amid daily RSF attrocities

The commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, has issued an “urgent call to the international community on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan”. Hemedti’s appeal has been met with cynicism amid widespread daily reports of rape, assault, and theft by RSF militiamen, ‘wreaking havoc’ in Darfur and other parts of Sudan that fall under the militia’s control.

In a lengthy statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) today, Hemedti points out: “Sudanese civilians find themselves in dire circumstances, facing the real possibility of starvation. This situation necessitates prompt action from regional and international organisations and agencies to provide urgent relief”.

In his statement, the RSF commander asserts that the war in Sudan, that broke out in April last year, “[was] ignited by remnants of the former regime and their allies within the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).” He highlights that “the situation has deteriorated significantly, culminating in a famine in certain areas of the country”, and that “Sudanese civilians find themselves in dire circumstances, facing the real possibility of starvation.” He calls on “prompt action from regional and international organisations and agencies to provide urgent relief”.

"The three guises of  of RSF terrorist group leader Hemeti" 

Caption by Sudan Watch Editor 

Cartoon by Omar Dafallah / Radio Daganga

However, as previously reported by Radio Dabanga, mounting allegations from Sudan indicate that the RSF is part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Marauding members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are reportedly “wreaking havoc“ among civilians in parts of Sudan under the militia’s control. While individual incidents are often hard to verify, reports reaching Radio Dabanga show a clear pattern of widespread banditry, including murder, robbery, and sexual violence.

Humanitarian catastrophe

International aid organisations have long lamented the humanitarian catastrophe befalling Sudanese civilians, and a group of UN experts reported last week that “about 25 million people, including 14 million children, are in dire need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan”.

In today’s post on X, Hemedti says that the RSF “reaffirm our steadfast commitment to working with all international partners to facilitate the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid in Sudan, ensuring the welfare and safety of affected populations and humanitarian workers.”

However, as a few respondents voiced support for the RSF, most reactions scorned Hemedti’s remarks. “You are the main reason for war. You should be sent to International Criminal Court immediately for all crimes in Sudan,” says ‘Shadia’. In another response, ‘Sogra’ says: “RSF (Janjaweed) are responsible for the suffering of the Sudanese people. RSF started a war against Sudanese people and their army. RSF (Janjaweed) soldiers and leaders are criminals.”

UN relief

Yesterday, the United Nations and its partners appealed for a combined $4.1 billion to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of civilians in war-torn Sudan and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.

A joint statement by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), pints out: “Ten months since the conflict erupted, half of Sudan’s population – some 25 million people – needs humanitarian assistance and protection. More than 1.5 million people have fled across Sudan’s borders to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the response inside Sudan, with this year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calling for $2.7 billion to reach 14.7 million people. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, coordinates the Regional Refugee Response Plan, which requests $1.4 billion and targets nearly 2.7 million people in five countries neighbouring Sudan.

See the RSF commander Hemedti’s complete statement here.

See the joint OCHA and UNHCR statement here.

View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-war-hemedti-laments-human-suffering-amid-daily-rsf-attrocities

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Sudan hit by internet blackout as conflict continues

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: This site hasn't had visits from Sudan or S. Sudan in past week. A job seeker in Khartoum wrote in to say he's unable to complete job applications online due to patchy connectivity and electricity. 

The internet and telecoms blackout might not be caused by RSF terrorists. Could be SAF and its allies on the move under cover to retake Aj Jazirah from RSF. Iran, Russia and others are good at hacking too. 

Sudan hit by internet outage: the affected areas include Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, and some Gezira states - mostly areas that are under control of RSF terrorist group. Photo credit: TechReport

__________________________

Report at BBC News
By Danai Nesta Kupemba, BBC News 
Dated Wednesday, 7 February 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan hit by internet blackout as civil war continues

IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS. Image caption, Some Sudanese providers have been experiencing problems since Friday

Sudan has been plunged into an internet blackout with many blaming the paramilitary group fighting the army in the country's 10-month civil war.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has denied responsibility.

NetBlocks, a watchdog that monitors internet freedom, said on X, there had been a "new collapse of internet connectivity" in Sudan.

It comes as a Sudanese hacktivist group targeted Uganda for welcoming the RSF leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

NetBlocks said it had found a disruption to the services of internet providers Uganda Telecom and MTN, although a BBC reporter in the capital Kampala said he did not notice any problems.

In Sudan, some people have reported being unable to access the internet since Friday but the situation has since got even worse.

State-aligned media have blamed the RSF.

However, according to the Sudan Tribune news site, an RSF official accused the army of issuing direct orders to sever communication in parts of Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Gezira states, which are largely under the control of the paramilitary group.

NetBlocks said on Wednesday that the one of the major mobile operators in Sudan, Zain, was "largely offline".

In a statement posted on Facebook, Zain said that it was "working under very difficult, harsh, and dangerous circumstances".

It added that the "current network outage is due to circumstances beyond its will".

Two other providers, South African-owned MTN Sudan and state-owned Sudani, were operating at zero on Friday, according to NetBlocks.

The network outage adds another layer of hardship to a nation at war.

In response to the ongoing conflict, the United Nations has appealed for $4.1bn (£3.25bn) to address the urgent humanitarian needs of those in Sudan and people who have been forced to flee their homes.

At least nine million people have been displaced, while some 25 million - half the entire population - need assistance, the UN says. 

"Ten months of conflict have robbed the people of Sudan of nearly everything - their safety, their homes and their livelihoods," said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths.

He added that the situation in Sudan needed to be addressed with a "heightened sense of urgency".

More stories on Sudan:

• ‘Our lives have become a piece of hell in Sudan’
• My family buried my grandmother while ducking bullets
• 'I saw bodies dumped in Sudan mass grave'
• Why Sudan's descent into violence matters

Related Topics

Sudan

Around the BBC

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View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68228340

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Sudan: JEM leader says his forces prepare to fight RSF

Report at Sudan Tribune
Dated Monday, 5 February 2024 - here is a copy in full:

JEM leader says his forces prepare to fight RSF

Gibril Ibrahim greets his supporters after his return to Khartoum on November 15, 2020

February 5, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) –  Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim, head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), strongly criticized the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and disclosed that his forces are preparing to wage war against them in Al-Jazirah state.

Speaking at a rally in Port Sudan, Ibrahim condemned the RSF’s attacks and accused them of pursuing a destructive agenda that threatens the entire nation. He rejected their claims of supporting democracy, characterizing them as a force intent on harming the people.

By attacking the central Sudan state “The RSF’s actions expose their true intentions,” Ibrahim declared. “Their project is not aligned with democracy or any other noble slogan.”

The JEM leader’s statement comes amid general mobilization by the army to retake several states from the paramilitary forces. The army leaders said their campaign would start by Al-Jazirah which the RSF seized in mid-December 2023.

Ibrahim, along with Minni Arko Minawi of the Sudan Liberation Movement, decided to abandon neutrality and join the army in this conflict.

He expressed his belief that the situation in Sudan is unique and has been influenced by international and regional actors. He further characterized the situation as incompatible with the nature of the Sudanese people.

“This situation is unprecedented, orchestrated by regional and global powers,” he asserted. “It represents a perversion of the true character of the Sudanese people,” he said referring to the war crimes and systematic looting practiced by the RSF elements.

Ibrahim went further, declaring the JEM’s commitment to actively opposing the RSF. “We will be at the forefront of liberating Madani,” he vowed, referring to the state capital. “The JEM is preparing for this moment,” he further unveiled.

His words align with reports of mobilization by armed movements in Darfur, including forces led by Minawi and Mustafa Tambour, who reportedly would participate in the under-preparation offensive against the RSF. (ST)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article282018/

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Sudan: Is Janjaweed RSF chief Hemeti mentally ill?

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Hemeti's words seldom match his actions. In this photo he looks exhausted and dejected. The International Criminal Court must cross his mind. He has sold his soul to the Devil and will suffer forever. All he has to do for peace to begin is to order his fighters to leave Khartoum. Has he lost control? Is he suffering mental illness? RSF fighters are moving their families into homes in Khartoum they stole for themselves. 

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has declared that anyone hindering Sudan's peace process is a traitor to the nation. He affirmed his intention to attend the upcoming Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting, driven by his… pic.twitter.com/5ixasWXf8B

— Sudan Tribune (@SudanTribune_EN) January 16, 2024

The above copy of a Jan 16, 2024 post at X by Sudan Tribune says "Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has declared that anyone hindering Sudan's peace process is a traitor to the nation. He affirmed his intention to attend the upcoming Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting, driven by his unwavering commitment to resolving Sudan's ongoing conflict. https://sudantribune.com/article281358/"

ENDS 

IGAD gives Sudan’s warring factions 2 weeks to meet

SEEMS the following demands made at today's (Saturday) IGAD meeting in Kampala, Uganda occurred after Sudan suspended its membership of IGAD:

"In a communique, read by Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the heads of states, including Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, along with representatives of the European Union, African Union and the United Nations, outlined their demands to the warring factions.

According to the communique, the conflict must be resolved by the Sudanese without any external interference. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse". Read more.

From Observer Uganda

Written by VOA (Voice of America)

Dated Saturday, 20 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

IGAD gives Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet

South Sudan President Salva Kiir at IGAD meeting

East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has given Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet face-to-face to de-escalate the situation.

The meeting, which also discussed the tension between Ethiopia and Somalia, made it clear that Somalia’s integrity must be respected. The IGAD meeting in Kampala described the conflict and political tension in the Horn of Africa and Sudan as a disturbing, senseless and devastating development.

Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, also the IGAD chairperson, said the group’s heads of state met with a sense of urgency as the region grapples with challenging times. The conflict in Sudan broke out in April between the national army, led by Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces. Since then, 7 million people have been displaced and 12,000 have been killed.

Sudan suspended its participation in the Kampala IGAD summit, accusing the regional body of violating its sovereignty and setting a dangerous precedent.

In a communique, read by Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the heads of states, including Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, along with representatives of the European Union, African Union and the United Nations, outlined their demands to the warring factions.

According to the communique, the conflict must be resolved by the Sudanese without any external interference. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse.

The Rapid Support Forces has specifically been accused of mass killings and use of rape as a weapon of war, especially in Darfur. Both parties have been accused of war crimes. Meanwhile, IGAD expressed concern about relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Early this month, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, giving Ethiopia access to the sea. In return, Ethiopia would consider recognizing Somaliland as an independent country. IGAD reaffirmed that any such agreement should be with Somalia.

Mike Hammer, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, said the US is particularly concerned that the agreement could disrupt the fight that Somalis, Africa and regional partners are waging against the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

"We have already seen troubling indications that al-Shabab is using the MOU to generate new recruits," he said. "We urge both sides to avoid precipitous actions including related to existing Ethiopian force deployment to Somalia that could create opportunities for al-Shabab to expand its reach within Somalia and into Ethiopia."

The African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urged both Somalia and Ethiopia to engage without delay, saying the tension compounds an already difficult time for the region.

View original: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/80338-igad-gives-sudan-s-warring-factions-two-weeks-to-meet

ENDS