Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is continuing regional diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire in the East African nation.
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| Sudan's RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (left) meets with Kenyan President William Ruto on January 3 in Nairobi. (Source: Sudan Tribune) |
AP reported that on January 4, Dagalo arrived in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, and met with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In a statement following the meeting, Dagalo said he had informed President Ramaphosa about the ongoing civil war that began last April.
He stated: "I have provided a full explanation of the reasons for the outbreak of conflict in the country, the parties behind the continued conflict, the extent of destruction and deliberate sabotage affecting basic infrastructure, as well as the killing, destruction, and displacement of thousands of people..."
Earlier, on January 3rd, RSF leaders stopped in Kenya and met with President William Ruto in Nairobi.
Posting photos on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) of his meeting with the RSF leader, President Ruto said that Kenya appreciated the commitment of the RSF and Mr. Daglo "to ending the conflict in Sudan through dialogue".
Mr. Ruto added: “The ongoing negotiations of the Intergovernmental Authority for the Development of East Africa (IGAD) will bring about a political solution to create lasting peace for the country.”
Following this development, the Sudan Tribune reported that on January 4, Khartoum recalled its ambassador to Kenya to protest the official welcoming ceremony organized by Nairobi.
Sudan's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq declared: "Nairobi has forgotten the horrific violations and destruction inflicted by the rebel forces on the infrastructure and property of the country's people."
In April 2023, deadly clashes occurred in Sudan between the military and the RSF (Republic of Sudanese Armed Forces). According to figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in early December 2023, more than 12,000 people had been killed in the fighting.
The generals who fought on both sides have not met in person since the conflict broke out.
IGAD, comprising eight East African nations and headquartered in Djibouti, is leading diplomatic efforts to mediate a meeting between RSF leader Daglo and his rival, Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
In late 2023, the President of Djibouti and the Chairman of IGAD, Ismail Omar Guelleh, also met with Dagalo, before the RSF leader began a tour of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda.
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