The Deputy Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt. Gen. Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, announced an end to negotiations with General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and a full-scale mobilization of one million fighters, vowing to take the war north.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for 20,000 new RSF recruits, Dagalo declared, “Today, a new war with Al-Kizan begins,” using a term for Islamists aligned with the SAF.
Dagalo accused the SAF and its allied factions of being “terrorist bloodsuckers” and vowed to seize key northern cities, including Shendi, Atbara, Port Sudan, Qanadtu, and Dongola.
Dagalo emphasized that previous peace efforts, including talks in Jeddah, Manama, and Geneva, had failed, leaving the RSF with no choice but to intensify military operations. He asserted that his forces had neutralized the army’s aircraft and drones, shifting the battle to direct combat.
“We have a strategic reserve of soldiers—one million troops ready to fight to the end,” he declared, adding that he would personally lead forces advancing on Shendi.
Dagalo also invoked the Nile as a symbolic goal, stating, “We want the million soldiers to drink from the Nile,” reinforcing his commitment to pushing the fight deep into northern Sudan.
