RSF commander accuses Sudan’s army of bombing civilians

ISTANBUL

Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo on Monday accused Sudanese army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of bombing civilians.

“The international community must take action now and intervene against the crimes of Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air. His army is waging a brutal campaign against innocent people, bombing them with MiGs,” Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, said on Twitter.

At least 97 people have been killed and hundreds injured in armed clashes between the Sudanese army and RSF fighters in the capital Khartoum and its surrounding areas since Saturday.

“We are fighting against radical Islamists who hope to keep Sudan isolated and in the dark, and far removed from democracy. We will continue to pursue al-Burhan and bring him to justice,” Hemedti said.

“The fight that we are waging now is the price of democracy. We did not attack anyone. Our actions are merely a response to the siege and assault against our forces. We are fighting for the people of Sudan to ensure the democratic progress, for which they have so long yearned.”

He said that RSF forces “are taking every possible measure to ensure the safety and security of the people.”

“We will not allow any harm to come to them, and we will do everything within our power to protect democracy and uphold rule of law in Sudan. We will prevail and achieve peace and stability,” he added.

A disagreement between the army and RSF regarding military and security reform, which envisages the full participation of the RSF in the army, has turned into a hot conflict in the last few months.

The dispute between the two sides came to the surface last week, when the army said recent movements by the RSF had occurred without coordination and were illegal.

The tension escalated into fighting in the capital Khartoum and its surrounding areas on Saturday, killing at least 97 people and injuring hundreds, according to local medics.

While the RSF accused the army of attacking its forces south of Khartoum with light and heavy weapons, the military said the paramilitary force was "spreading lies" and declared it a "rebel" group.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019, was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara