Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, on a whirlwind shuttle diplomacy tour across Africa, met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in the capital Kigali on Friday.
Dagalo’s regional tour, a series of visits to several sisterly and friendly nations across the region, has so far included stops in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa, the leader of RSF has stated his goal is to bring a swift, peaceful end to the 8-month long war.
Dagalo revealed he provided Kagame “With a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the outbreak of the April 15th war, ignited by leaders of the former regime with the support of their elements in the Sudanese Armed Forces, with the objective of seizing power and blocking the path to the democratic transformation desired by the Sudanese people.”
“We look with admiration at this great country, which has become an inspiration for many nations aspiring to rise from the ruins of wars and conflicts towards peace, development, progress, and prosperity,” Dagalo said.
RSF leader, whose Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been making serious gains against the army for the last few months, has made significant concessions towards peace during the regional tour.
Last week, RSF has agreed to release 451 armed forces prisoners as a gesture of goodwill.
Sudan has since April 15, 2023 been plunged into a civil war pitting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The conflict has resulted in a devastating toll, with over 12,190 casualties and the displacement of more than seven million people, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and UN figures, respectively.
Mediation efforts have faced significant obstacles due to deep-seated animosity between the rival factions. Despite Burhan’s administration continuing to issue statements as Sudan’s government, Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces assert control over Khartoum’s streets, Darfur, and a substantial part of Al-Jazira, once Sudan’s vital agricultural region.
