Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Presidential Council of the Peace and Unity Government and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said on Tuesday that airports and drones launched from a neighbouring country that carry out attacks on Darfur and Kordofan are legitimate targets for his forces.
“Airports and drones launched from a neighboring country are a legitimate target for our forces,” Dagalo said, warning that any aircraft shot down or taking off from such an airport will make that airport a valid target. “Any airport in a neighboring country from which an aircraft or drone takes off targeting our regions is a legitimate target for us,” he added.
In the statement, Dagalo ordered RSF units to head to the battlefields and expressed confidence of imminent victory. He also reiterated a call for an international investigation committee to look into what he described as “massacres” since April 15, 2023, saying the alleged crimes and ethnic cleansing “will not go unpunished” and that the demand for an inquiry “cannot be waived.”
Dagalo framed the campaign as an effort to eliminate what he called the “cancer” of the Islamic Movement, which he said had paralysed Sudan for more than three decades. “Our people across Sudan ought to know: God willing, every person will be able to return to their homes, and our country will not rise until these criminals are gone,” he said.
He also said the city of El-Fasher is open and that roads there are accessible to civilians, including those the statement described as being used as human shields. “To the civilians and military personnel in El-Fasher: the roads are open for you, and your brothers will welcome you,” Dagalo said.
The RSF chief urged authorities and humanitarian organisations to prioritise citizens’ security, livelihoods, health and education, saying development and basic services must be maintained “even in times of war.” He called on aid groups to ensure access to all regions under RSF control in Darfur and Kordofan.
