RSF's future plans for parts of Darfur, Sudan

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From Lighthouse Reports

By Klaas Van Dijken, Nouska du Saar 

Published 19 February 2020 - here is a full copy:

Sudan’s violent new rulers

Traveiling with perpetrators of Darfur atrocities illuminates self-styled saviors

After Sudan’s long-serving dictator Omar al-Bashir was toppled by protesters in 2019, the country was back in the headlines early in 2020 when its transitional government handed him to the International Criminal Court to face charges of war crimes. Bashir’s alleged crimes took place in the western region of Darfur between 2003 and 2008 after he tasked a notorious Arab militia with crushing an insurgency by African tribes with the backing of the Sudanese army. Known then as the Janjaweed, or “devils on horseback,” these fighters have since restyled themselves as the Rapid Support Forces. Their leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – better known as Hemedti – has also rebranded himself, as the guardian of democratic transition in Sudan. His influence stretches from Sudan’s borderlands to the capital, Khartoum, where he shakes hands with world leaders. But a guided tour through a sleepy desert city reveals how Bashir’s heir apparent really sees Sudan’s future, and exposes the devastation and division wreaked by his forces.

METHODS

Combining a range of research methods including travel writing and traditional war reporting with the analysis of satellite imagery, this investigation seeks to shine a torch on the true violent nature of Sudan’s self-professed democratic guardian, and his paramilitary force. Embedded with members of Hemedti’s Rapid Support Forces in a tour to remote parts of North Darfur, we secretly collected coordinates of areas being targeted by Hemedti’s paramilitary forces. Extending the investigation, we obtained and analyzed leaked documents on future plans of Hemedti and his forces for parts of Darfur. To corroborate our findings and deepen our insights, we also interviewed confidential sources in secret locations  and spoke to  Hemedti himself in his luxury residence in the capital Khartoum. Finally we analyzed satellite imagery of destroyed villages in North Darfur and linked them to reports of attacks by the paramilitary group.

STORYLINES

Our reporter travelled to Zurrug, an outpost of Darfur so remote that it has yet to appear on Google maps.  A desert outpost whose sparse shacks are illuminated by campfires that throw shadows over pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns – the only hint of the violent past of this city-in-the-making in Sudan’s troubled western province.

The town is under the control of Sudan’s most powerful man, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, or  Hemedti., head of a paramilitary group that was one of the world’s notorious militias, the janjaweed, or devils on a horseback. Flanked by his fighters, rebranded as Rapid Support Forces, Hemedti plans to build a city on the spoils of a brutal war, according to official plans that may rely on funding from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to materialize.

But community leaders from camps in North Sudan claim to have been violently driven off land they had inhabited for centuries by Hemedti’s henchmen. They are among hundreds of thousands scattered across camps in Darfur who claim to have been violated and forced from their homes by the RSF after bearing the brunt of the war crimes ascribed to Bashir.

Satellite images have revealed the extent of the destruction wreaked by Hemedti’s fighters to villages to date, attacks corroborated by independent media and other sources.

Although Hemedti insists he has the best interests of all the Sudanese people at heart — claims he pressed during an exclusive interview — the grand plans of Bashir’s would-be successor for Zurrug rather point to a a winner-takes-all vision that could spell new upheaval for the strife-torn nation. Already disenfranchised ethnic groups, their appeals for a resolution snubbed, are warning of armed insurrection.

COPUBLISHED WITH

Trouw

The Guardian

Co-publications from this investigation

• The Guardian: Blood, sand and gold: victor’s city rises from ashes of Sudan’s civil war
• Trouw: Built on stolen land
• Trouw: He wants to do the right thing for Sudan - he says

View original: https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/sudan-violent-new-rulers/#impact

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FFC civilian group leader Arman urges unified front to end war and achieve democratic transition in Sudan

"A prominent leader of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), Yasir Arman, called for building a unified civil front in the country to end the war and advance the tasks of democratic transition in Sudan.

On Monday, the FFC delegation participated in the closing session of the IGAD Quartet meeting charged with ending the conflict in Sudan. It also held meetings with the leaders of the African Union and IGAD countries to brief them about its position on the ongoing conflict in Khartoum and Darfur and its tragic consequences.

Civil groups, including a faction led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, have recently raised calls for the participation of civilians in comprehensive negotiations with the aim of halting the war, re-establishing the political process, and achieving democratic transition." Read more.

Report at Sudan Tribune - sudantribune.com
Published 11 June 2023 - here is a fully copy:

Arman urges unified front to end war and achieve democratic transition in Sudan

Yasir Arman speaks to reporters in a press conference held by the FFC on November 16, 2022 (ST photo)

June 11, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – A prominent leader of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), Yasir Arman, called for building a unified civil front in the country to end the war and advance the tasks of democratic transition in Sudan.

The call comes after the leaders of the revolutionary forces left the country on a regional and international tour to advocate for an end to the fighting and to explain the positions of the coalition on the issues of transition in Sudan.

On Monday, the FFC delegation participated in the closing session of the IGAD Quartet meeting charged with ending the conflict in Sudan. It also held meetings with the leaders of the African Union and IGAD countries to brief them about its position on the ongoing conflict in Khartoum and Darfur and its tragic consequences.

In a statement to Sudan Tribune from the Ethiopian capital, Arman said that their meetings with the IGAD quartet, the African Union, and international partners highlighted the importance of political and civil forces in shaping the future of Sudan. He added that this is the first time that civil and political leaders participate in such meetings.

Arman stressed that the civil forces need to form a broad civil front after the end of the war and the return of the military to the barracks.

“The building of the civil front will not be undertaken by an individual or a single group, but by the forces of change, revolution, and democratic forces together, in full transparency and in broad daylight, inside and outside Sudan, to build a civil front that leads to a real transformation in Sudan,” he said.

Recently, calls have been made by civil groups, including a group led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, for the involvement of civilians in comprehensive negotiations aimed at stopping the war, resuming the political process, and democratic transition. Arman warned against the continuation of the ongoing conflict in the country between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, as it would lead to the destruction of Khartoum and plunge the country into a comprehensive civil war on ethnic and regional lines.

Civil groups, including a faction led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, have recently raised calls for the participation of civilians in comprehensive negotiations with the aim of halting the war, re-establishing the political process, and achieving democratic transition. Arman cautioned against the perpetuation of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, emphasizing the potential consequences of such a continuation, including the devastation of Khartoum and the escalation of a widespread civil war along ethnic and regional divisions.

He highlighted that the ongoing clashes within the nation have the potential to utterly devastate Khartoum and erase the historical significance embodied by its monuments over the past two centuries.

“Initially, RSF elements perpetrated numerous violations and unlawfully seized civilian homes and properties. Presently, in the absence of substantial ground forces, the army is moving towards depopulating the capital by subjecting it to airstrikes and artillery bombardments. Preventing the total annihilation of Khartoum is imperative. Also, it is essential that the voices of Sudanese people and the international community be raised to protect civilians in Khartoum and bring an end to the war.”

Following the outbreak of the fighting in Khartoum on April 15, the paramilitary forces seized civilian homes and turned them into barracks for their fighters. In addition, they occupied essential facilities and looted banks, resulting in disruptions to various aspects of life in the capital.

Recently, the RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” admitted that his forces committed violations and promised to hold those involved accountable, but civilians are still suffering from looting and occupation of homes.

In addition, the military conducted aerial assaults on RSF positions situated in residential neighbourhoods, resulting in the loss of over a thousand lives and the displacement of more than one and a half million individuals to other regions or abroad.

Arman pointed out that the ongoing fighting in Darfur has become a threat to the peaceful coexistence between the various tribal components in the region and will lead to the eruption of ethnic and tribal conflict.

“Supporting civil society in Darfur, the Native Administration, women, youth, the displaced and refugees as a genuine partner to stop the war is important and necessary,” he further said.

Over 250,000 civilians from the Darfur region have been forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of attacks by the RSF-backed Arab militias. Numerous reports have drawn parallels between these events and the ethnic cleansing and genocide that have occurred in some African countries.

The leader of the FFC called for the active participation of civil society in the distribution of aid, including medical personnel, legal experts, women, and youth. Additionally, they emphasized the need for the establishment of civil administrations across urban and rural areas of Sudan to ensure the fair distribution of assistance to those who are in need.

According to news reports, international aid intended for the war-affected population and civilians in need is not reaching its intended recipients. Instead, it is being stockpiled in warehouses, and there are allegations of involvement by organizations associated with the former regime. (ST)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article275055/

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