KHARTOUM, Sudan
Here are some facts about Sudan’s main paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, which said on Saturday, April 15, it had taken control of the presidential palace and the country’s international airport in an apparent coup attempt.
It accused the army of attacking first; the military said it
was fighting back.
The RSF is commanded by
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who currently holds the position of deputy head
of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, and who is commonly known as Hemedti.
Analysts estimate the force numbers about 100,000, with bases and deployments
across the country.
It evolved from so-called
janjaweed militias that fought in a conflict in the 2000s in the Darfur region,
where they were used by the government of long-ruling President Omar al-Bashir
to help the army put down a rebellion. An estimated 2.5 million people were
displaced and 300,000 killed in the conflict. International Criminal Court
prosecutors accused government officials and janjaweed commanders of genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Over time the forces grew, and
were used as border guards in particular to clamp down on irregular migration.
In tandem, Hemedti’s business interests grew with help from Bashir, and his
family expanded holdings in gold mining, livestock, and infrastructure.
Beginning in 2015, the RSF,
along with Sudan’s army, began sending troops to fight in the war in Yemen
alongside Saudi and Emirati troops, allowing Hemedti to forge ties with the
Gulf powers.
In 2017, a law legitimizing the RSF as an independent security force was passed. Military sources said that the army’s leadership had long expressed concern about the development of Hemedti’s forces.
In April 2019, the RSF
participated in a military coup that ousted Bashir. Later that year, Hemedti
signed a power-sharing agreement that made him deputy of a ruling council
headed by army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Before the signing in 2019,
activists accused the RSF of participating in killing dozens of pro-democracy
protesters. Rights groups have also accused RSF soldiers of tribal violence.
Hemedti removed immunity from some, allowing for their prosecution. Last year,
he apologized for crimes by the state against the Sudanese people, without
elaborating.
The RSF participated in
a coup
in October 2021 that halted the transition to elections. Hemedti has
since said he regrets the coup and has expressed approval for a new deal to
restore full civilian government.
The Sudanese army as well as
pro-democracy groups have demanded the RSF’s integration into the regular armed
forces.
Negotiations on this have been
a source of tension that has delayed a final signing of a deal, originally
scheduled for April 1, for a new government and a transition towards
elections.
No comments:
Post a Comment