Conflict Is Escalating between Hemedti and Sudan's Generals

The movements of the commander of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, Lieutenant-General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti", are rising controversy during the recent period, causing escalating conflicts between him and the army generals.

From his side, Hemedti launched a storm of resonant statements defending his forces, and accusing “indirectly” the army leaders and seniors of the Military Council.

The political circle in Sudan interacts negatively with Hemedti’s statements. His speech was reported by the media, carrying a wave of severe criticism against him and his forces, accused of dispersing the sit-in of the General Command of the Armed Forces, which left dozens of civilians dead.

On June 3, 2019, the "Khartoum massacre", known in the media as "the General Command's sit-in dispersal", broke out when forces in military uniforms, believed to be the "Rapid Support Forces", stormed the civilian sit-in headquarters, leaving more than 100 people dead, And hundreds of wounded, according to the version of the Forces of Freedom and Change (the leader of the popular movement at the time).

The Sudanese state designed a special investigation committee to disperse the sit-in, seeking to announce the real suspect and prosecute those involved, in light of the accusations against the forces of Lieutenant-General Hemedti.

That situation raised questions about the nature of the crisis between the two largest military forces in the country, and what would be the output of the disput  between them? Is it possible for the Rapid Support Forces to fully integrate and dissolve into the army? Or will it remain in its unique position?

Hemedti's Statements

"Hemedti" addressed the crowd, during the memorial for the leader of the Sudan Liberation Army, Mubarak Nimeiri, on Friday, June 4, 2021, and spoke in an unprecedented manner, with strong and decisive words.

He said, "I am the only one who stood with the people. They were all planning to break up the sit-in," then accused certain parties of "working to demonize and belittle him, and to undermine his and military rank."

He declared in decisive words, bearing a tinge of anger: "I am the only person in the security committee, who objected to the plans of the former regime's employees." .

He revealed "The restlessness among the security and military agencies while performing their duties  fearing being targeted at any time" referring to the imprisonment of some soldiers, accusing them of killing protesters.

He wondered about his guilt to be demonized, and continued, "leadership positions are exclusively on certain parties and certain people." He added, "They decided together to break up the sit-in, but I supported the people, and now I have become an enemy of the people."

Hemedti concluded his speech by criticizing the economic, social, political and security conditions, describing them as turbulent, and accusing the intellectuals of leading a racist campaign.

 

Sudan on Fire

The statements of the commander of the Rapid Support Forces did not stop there. Rather, the pace of events accelerated on June 7, 2021, when he announced his categorical refusal to integrate his forces into the army, in a severe challenge to unite the various armed movements and factions, under a unified leadership during the transitional period.

Hemedti said: "Rapid support is made up of a law authorized by an elected parliament, and it is not a battalion or company so that they can include it in the army. It is a large force."

These statements led to the conclusion of a severe disagreement between Hemedti and the army leaders, especially the leader of the Sovereign Council, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who is considered the de facto ruler in the country.

On June 6, 2021, the local newspaper, Sudan Tribune, reported that the tense relationship between the army leaders and the Rapid Support Forces is due to several reasons, the most important of which is Hemedti's refusal to integrate the Rapid Support Forces into the army.

While the Sudanese writer "Al-Fateh Jabra" went even further, when he wrote on his official website on June 8, 2021, saying: "I think that the story has become crystal clear that there is a (big ailment) between the man (Hemedti) and his boss ( the proof)".

It continued: "As soon as the questions begin about what is behind these fiery statements from His Excellency Lieutenant-General Hemedti, the media of the two sides rush to deny the existence of any problems between them and that everything is completely fine, but the evidence belies these statements."

It added: "Here is the army encircling the General Command with a fence and preventing approaching it, and the issue has reached the stage of a show of strength, such as those morning exercises that roam the streets in the capital, led by Burhan Balaghat personally for the first time since he came to power after the revolution was sold to him by the meager, complicit landing parties."

Journalist "Zuhair Al-Sarraj" wrote through the Sudanese newspaper "Al-Jarida", about the crisis by saying: "The abnormal situation of the Rapid Support Forces, which is led by Hemeti,  ican not be under complete control without the state, this is what we talked about a lot and demanded to change."

Unless this abnormal situation changes, (Hemedti) will remain, in the eyes of the people, the leader of a military force that is above the law and can, at any time, cause chaos in the country! According to his opinion, which he stated on June 8, 2021.

 

Clushing Powers

The escalation of anger, and the show of force between the army and the rapid support, puts Sudan to the test, especially since the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, numbering about 40,000 soldiers, possess a complete army equipped with the highest levels of armament, and enjoy heavy equipment and armor, in addition to columns of military cars. 

Hemedti's forces are also equipped with a ferocious intelligence apparatus, and deployment forces capable of flowing throughout the country, within a few hours, with tribal fanaticism and clan loyalties.

On June 11, 2019, the American "Foreign Policy" magazine published about these forces, saying, "General Hemedti manages the well-armed Rapid Support Forces as if they are ready to go to war."

On the other hand, according to the American “Global Fire Power” website, which specializes in classifying armies and weapons, according to the 2019 census, the Sudanese army ranks seventy in the world, and includes 189,000 soldiers, including 85,000 soldiers in the reserve forces.

The formation of the ground forces includes (an armored division - a mechanized infantry division - 6 infantry divisions - a reconnaissance brigade - 5 special forces companies - 3 artillery brigades - an engineer division - a border guard brigade). As for tanks, it possesses about 410 tanks in addition to 403 armored combat vehicles .

The Sudanese army was not absent from the history of the tense Sudanese political scene, as it seized power 4 times successfully, in decisive military coups, in contrast to the multiple failed attempts.

In terms of deployment, the ground forces are located in the central command in (Khartoum), the eastern command in al-Qadarif, the western command in al-Fasher, the central command in al-Obeid, and the northern command in Shendi, meaning that its presence and service includes the rest of the country.

 

Fierce Battle

Sudanese journalist, Mohamed Nasr, in his interview with Al-Istiklal, described the nature of the underlying conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces as the "mother of all battles" on which Sudan's future will depend for decades to come.

He said: "The tone with which Hemeti spoke, as the only man who saved the revolution, prevented massacres, and that the rest of the army leaders were under the command of Al-Bashir, confirms the extent of the deep differences between the military component, which is basically divided between two influential forces, which possess a huge amount of weapons and equipment." ".

He added, "Talking about the clash between the army and rapid support is old and renewed, and Sudanese politicians have been expecting it for a long time, even before the revolution itself and during the rule of al-Bashir and the Salvation Government."

He stated: "If we go back to the cradle of the story, al-Bashir used rapid support, who are just rebel groups in Darfur, claiming (the Janjaweed) in order to protect himself and his regime from military coups, and to strike a balance of power in the political and military arena, but the Janjaweed inflated Al-Bashir himself, then prepared to devour everyone.

The Sudanese journalist stressed: "The state in Sudan cannot bear the clash of the army with rapid support, which, unfortunately, will not be able to contain or control it."

He elucidated "If we give an example to the armed groups such as the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement with its two wings, in addition to Justice and Equality, as well as the movements in Darfur, all these factions and groups cannot be restrained by the Sudanese state.”

He continued, "What do we mean by a large force equipped with heavy and advanced weapons, and with tens of thousands of fighters such as Rapid Support, that refuses and its commander to join the army or under its umbrella, in addition to its widespread presence in Khartoum and other cities now."

He added, "Sudan is heading to a dead end. No country in the world can tolerate the presence of two equal forces. The country will not have a real future in this way. We are facing a hugely complex problem. This will lead to an inevitable clash that will occur sooner or later."