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PRETORIA

Sudan’s feared RSF rebel leader Dagalo meets Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa welcomed the briefing from Sudan's feared rebel leader, Dagalo, and expressed South Africa's support for the imminent face-to-face dialogue between him and Burhan in an effort to end the brutal civil war.
Sudan’s feared RSF rebel leader Dagalo meets Ramaphosa Then-Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Military Council rally in Sudan Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti speaks during a gathering with supporters of the military council in Khartoum, Sudan, 16 June 2019. (Photo: EPA-EFE/Marwan Ali)
Peter Fabricius
By Peter Fabricius
5 Jan 2024
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Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, leader of Sudan’s feared rebel army the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) met President Ramaphosa in Pretoria on Thursday to discuss efforts to end the country’s brutal civil war.

Fighting erupted in April between Dagalo’s RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of  Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council

Ramaphosa welcomed the briefing Dagalo gave him and commended the central role of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) under Djibouti’s chair in mediating between the RSF and Burhan’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), the presidency said.

He also welcomed the participation of the people of Sudan and civil society society “in finding a lasting solution to the security and political challenges,” it added in a statement.

“President Ramaphosa expressed South Africa’s support for the imminent face to face dialogue between General Dagalo and General Burhan and reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire, and the dialogue towards permanent cessation of hostilities.”

Dagalo travelled to Pretoria to meet Ramaphosa as part of a tour of African capitals to brief them on his perspective of the civil war which has killed thousands and displaced many more.

On Wednesday Dagalo met Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi and posted a statement on Facebook to say he had discussed with him the causes of the war, how to stop the gunfire and begin negotiations to reach a comprehensive solution that would achieve just and lasting peace in the country.

On Sunday, Dagalo travelled to Djibouti to brief President Ismail Omar  Guelleh, and on Friday he met Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Demeke Mekonnen.

Dagalo said he had reassured Guelleh of his full commitment to the outcomes of the Igad summit held in Djibouti on 9th December when he and Burhan had agreed to an unconditional ceasefire, the resolution of the conflict through political dialogue and a face to face meeting with each other.

That meeting was supposed to take place on 28 December but did not happen for unspecified “technical reasons.” It is now expected to happen any moment, as Ramaphosa’s statement indicated.

It is not quite clear why Dagolo has involved South Africa, except that it appears he appreciates Pretoria’s role in other peacemaking efforts such as its hosting of the negotiations which led to the 2022 ceasefire in the civil war between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigrayans. DM

Comments (4)

Steve Du Plessis Jan 5, 2024, 06:20 AM

Interesting. So when the real genocide crowd comes to town they are SA’s friends. People fighting genocidal terrorism go to the ICJ. The strategy is getting clear. South Africa has great people. None of them are our leaders

Dave Martin Jan 5, 2024, 08:48 AM

Just to be clear, the RSF leader leads an Arab militia which includes the genocidal group known as the Janjaweed. Sudan is historically divided by the former slave-owning Arab peoples and the ethnically black African formerly enslaved people. The RSF/Janjaweed over the last few months have been slaughtering the ethnically black members of the Marsalit tribe in their thousands: men, women and children. These communities are being ethnically cleansed from Darfur. Millions are fleeing. Search for the Reuters story "the Slaughter of El Geneina". As South Africans and Africans we should tell Dagalo/Hemedti that he needs to halt that immediately if he ever wants to be recognised as a Sudanese leader.

dexmoodley@gmail.com Jan 5, 2024, 09:50 AM

We actually should tell UAE (RSF) , Egypt (Sudan Army) to stop supplying arms . Civil society is the way to go forward , both military leaders have lost any legitimacy. US, AU and Arab League condoned the coup against civilian president that has led to this mess.

Bill Gild Jan 5, 2024, 04:21 PM

Ramaphosa's government (for want of a better word!) has a history of meeting with terrorists and genocidal individuals. SA is geopolitically irrelevant, and will continue thus, notwithstanding trying to create an image of peacemaker.

Ludovici DIVES Jan 6, 2024, 10:13 AM

Since it appears Ramaposa's cannot think for himself he is obviously being very badly advised.

Colin Braude Jan 6, 2024, 06:37 PM

The key to the meeting is Degalo being a former follower of Omar al Bashir. The ANC-in-government perjured itself to protect child-rapist and genocidist al Bashir from the ICC (he has since been jailed for corruption). The Mysterious Hazim Mustafa, who suddenly appeared with an Ankole-sh!t "firepool" story to explain how $580,000 was paid for cattle that he never took ownership of, is also an associate of al Basir. No more coincidental that the ANC proxying for Hamas at the ICJ exactly one week after its R102 million debt for 2019 campaign posters was settled out of court, averting liquidation.