Sudan’s RSF delays Nairobi unveiling of parallel government with allies » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – Sudan’s sanctioned paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has postponed the unveiling of its political charter and constitution to February 21.
The event by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo-led group, initially scheduled to take place in Nairobi on Tuesday, was expected to mark the establishment of a parallel government.
The announcement came after hundreds of RSF supporters gathered at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where senior members of the opposition forces, including RSF Deputy Commander Abdel Rahim Dagalo, were in attendance.
Also present were Fadlallah Burma Nasir, leader of the National Umma Party, and Abdelaziz al-Hilu, chairman of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SPLM-N).
RSF Legal Advisor Ezzeldin Al Safi stated that the coalition’s preparatory committee had requested additional time to hold further consultations before finalizing the process.
“The preparatory committee plans to have a full-fledged program over the course of three to four days until the 21st of February, when we will have the final session and present to all of you and to the world the new political charter and the constitution document,” Al Safi stated.
Concensus
According to the preparatory committee, the signing ceremony for what it calls the Sudan Founding Charter for Establishing a Peace and Unity Government is also backed by political, civil, and social forces.
“This charter aims to restore the legitimate government that was overthrown by remnants and militias of the Islamic movement,” the committee said in an earlier statement.
It further claimed that the charter seeks to “reinstate the democratic path through a national consensus that includes all political, civil, and social forces, laying the foundation for a new phase of stability and sustainable peace.”
The committee also claimed that the charter has been prepared with the “agreement of various active parties, reaffirming a collective commitment to joint action for a more prosperous and just future.”
Fragile process
The move could anger Sudan’s ruling military junta, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which currently governs from Port Sudan.
It could also provoke a response from Washington, which has sanctioned Dagalo for his role in alleged atrocities.
On January 8, the United States imposed sanctions on the leader of RSF for his role in an unfolding genocide against non-Arabs.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who deputized Sudan’s interim leader under the Transitional Sovereign Council before a fallout in April 2023, of killing tens of thousands in a conflict that has displaced 12 million Sudanese.
OFAC further sanctioned seven companies and an individual it said facilitated RSF’s ability to acquire military equipment and finances. It singled out Capital Tap Holding L.L.C. (Capital Tap Holding), based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Then US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Hemedti’s forces of targeting men, boys, and infants.
The US had led a Troika in denouncing rights violations in Sudan amid a regional effort led by Nairobi to resolve the country’s leadership crisis.
The United States, United Kingdom, and Norway, in a joint statement issued on November 15, singled out attacks by the RSF in West, Central, and South Darfur.
“These [attacks] have included – according to credible reports – mass killings, including ethnic targeting of non-Arab and other communities, killings of traditional leaders, unjust detentions, and obstruction of humanitarian aid,” the Troika stated.
The Troika renewed calls for concerted efforts to return the country to civilian rule while warning General al-Burhan-led forces against esclation..
“We reiterate that there is no acceptable military solution to the conflict and call for an end to the fighting,” it said.
Jeddah talks
RAF’s bid to constitute a government comes amid efforts, partly championed by Nairobi under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to chart a path back to civillian rule.
The Jeddah Process facilitated jointly by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and IGAD, seeks dialogue among various actors including civil socienty players.
General al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, had stonewalled a Nairobi-led initiative under an IGAD quartet comprising Ethiopia, Djibouti, and South Sudan over alleged bias.
General al-Burhan reportedly took offense at President William Ruto’s characterization of the conflict as “fighting between two generals.”