Sudan’s paramilitary commander Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, “Hemetti”, has criticized the ruling generals and said they oppose stepping down to allow a democratic transition under a civilian government.
Gen Dagalo, commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and deputy head of the Sovereign Council, said his disagreement with other military leaders, which has become public in recent weeks, is centred on the issue of stepping down and handing over power to civilians.
“We are against anyone who wants to be a dictator,” he told RSF troops at a military base in Khartoum.
Sudan was plunged into chaos after a military coup removed a Western-backed administration in October 2021, stalling its short-lived transition to democracy after nearly three decades of autocratic rule under President Omar Al Bashir.
The dispute between Gen Dagalo and other military generals has escalated in recent weeks.
The RSF commander has recently become critical of other military leaders, partly over the issue of handing power to civilians but also over the reintegration of his forces into the military, as stated in the Framework Agreement.
The rhetoric has fuelled concerns about possible clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Gen Dagalo’s paramilitary force.
In his speech, Gen Dagalo played down any tensions between his forces and the military as an institution.
“There is no problem between the military and the Rapid Support Forces. We want to achieve a true democratic transition. We want this country to rise,” he told his troops.