Ugandan President Gen. Yoweri Museveni on Friday met the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, at State House, Entebbe, and repeated that the war raging in Sudan can only be ended by inclusive dialogue.
The ongoing conflict erupted on 15 April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum, following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”. The fighting quickly spread across the country and remains ongoing.
The war has triggered one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with estimates indicating that over 12 million people have been forcibly displaced. This includes millions who remain internally displaced within Sudan and nearly 4 million people who have fled across international borders to neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic.
“When I last came to Sudan, I met President Bashir and advised against the politics of identity instead of the politics of interest,” Museveni said, referring to former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir. “Identity politics is poisonous. It does not yield good results. What is important are shared interests that unite people.”
He urged Sudan’s warring parties to negotiate.
For his part, Gen. Dagalo thanked Museveni for his hospitality, describing him as “a wise man of Africa.”
“Your (election) victory is not only a gain for Ugandans but for the whole continent,” he stated. “We truly believe in your principles and your commitment to peace.”
Dagalo agreed that a peaceful resolution is needed and acknowledged Sudan’s deepening humanitarian and institutional crises. He also expressed interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation with Uganda, particularly in trade, education, and regional integration.
Meanwhile, Henry Okello Oryem, Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, stressed that Sudan’s stability is crucial for the region.
“Sudan’s stability is important for the entire region,” he said. “What happens in Khartoum does not stay in Khartoum.”
Sudanese officials have previously alleged that Uganda served as a transit route for weapons and supplies destined for the RSF. In late 2023, a Sudanese general alleged that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) funneled military supplies to the RSF through Uganda, Chad, and the Central African Republic, a charge Ugandan authorities have categorically rejected as “nonsense” and “absolute rubbish”.
While tensions have surfaced over these transit allegations, Uganda maintains that its engagement with the RSF leadership—including high-level meetings hosted by President Yoweri Museveni—is a diplomatic effort to facilitate inclusive dialogue and achieve a sustainable peace.
“The solution will not come from the battlefield alone,” Museveni said, underscoring the need to “prioritize peace over military confrontation.”
Despite multiple attempts by mediators to get the warring parties to a ceasefire, fighting rages on with the increased use of drones by both sides.