Tag: Hemedti

Sudan: Russian diplomat calls for cooperation

Blog, Conflict

Brussels 28.04.2023 Russia calls for national consensus in Sudan — deputy foreign minister.
The situation in Sudan escalated amid disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also leads the ruling Sovereignty Council, and the top commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo widely known as Hemedti, who used to be al-Burhan’s deputy on the Council. (Image: Nile, sunset)

Russia is calling on the belligerent sides of the conflict in Sudan to reach a national consensus and cooperate, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on RT television on Thursday, April 27.

Bogdanov, who is also the presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, added that Russia and Sudan always had friendly relations.

“Our minister [Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov] was on a visit to Khartoum. There were very good communication, meetings and negotiations with both the Foreign Minister and the military authorities. We have always been in favor of national consensus and cooperation between the forces in Sudan – the military and civilian ones,” Bogdanov clarified.

The conflict in Sudan occurred as a result of disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereignty Council, and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, named Hemedti, who is al-Burhan’s deputy on the council.

On April 15, armed clashes between the rival military factions erupted near a military base in Merowe and in the capital, Khartoum. According to the country’s Health Ministry, more than 600 people have been killed since the conflict broke out. The World Health Organization reported that the conflict had claimed more than 450 lives with more than 4,000 people suffering injuries.

Thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Sudan in recent days. Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and France closed their Embassies in Khartoum. Many other countries are reducing their diplomatic presence or relocating diplomatic missions to nearby states.