Sudan’s RSF leader in overseas trip for talks with senior African officials on ending war
The leader of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan travelled to Uganda and Ethiopia for talks with senior African officials on ending the war with the Sudanese armed forces.
In his first appearance outside Sudan since the conflict began in April, Gen Mohamed Dagalo met Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday, the military leader said.
In a post on X, Gen Dagalo said he and Mr Museveni discussed an end to the war in Sudan which has killed more than 10,000 people and injured more than 12,000.
He also said he discussed his vision for the negotiations with the Sudanese military, led by his former ally-turned-rival Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.
The meeting, which took place at Mr Museveni’s country home, Ruwakitura, was confirmed by the Ugandan leader in a separate post on X. In Ethiopa, Gen Degalo held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Sudan’s army and the RSF have been locked in a conflict that has devastated Khartoum and caused accusations of of ethnic killings in Darfur despite several rounds of diplomacy to halt the fighting. The RSF has gained the upper hand in the war this month after capturing Wad Madani in central Sudan.
The RSF has been accused of looting and killing civilians, and of using rape as a “tool to punish and terrorise” communities, the UN said in a report.
“Some of the reported rapes appear to be ethnically and racially motivated,” experts said in the report.
On Wednesday, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said that Gen Dagalo was not able to travel to Djibouti, the current chair of regional body IGAD, for a planned initial meeting with Gen Al Burhan.
The meeting, which has been postponed until next month, aimed to bring the two military leaders together for talks on ending the continuing war.
The postponement was due to “technical issues”, according to the Foreign Ministry.
However, a source told Reuters that the meeting was postponed because of disagreements between the two men.
Army chief and military ruler Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo had been allies before the current war after the army and the RSF jointly removed Omar Al Bashir from power in a coup in 2019. They also joined forces in a 2021 coup that overthrew a civilian-led government.