Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of the Sudanese Council of Government, walked out of a dialogue hosted by former South African president Thabo Mbeki two days ago, ending another opportunity to advance the cause of restoring peace to Africa’s third largest country.
Malik had joined other African leaders and scholars at the inaugural Peace and Security Dialogue, an event hosted by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TBF), and was due to address the 18-month civil war at the event in Magaliesburg, South Africa, on Sunday, according to the event programme seen by Pan African Review.
The three-day summit was organised by the Global Dialogue, the Human Sciences Research Council and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
On Saturday, a delegation of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by its deputy leader, General Omer Hamdan, also arrived in Gauteng Province for Sunday’s discussion, which was dedicated to Sudan.
In a statement, the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) said its delegation left the APSD after the arrival of a delegation of the RSF, which it described as a fascist militia.
The council, headed by General Abdel_Fattah_al_Burhan, said the invitation of the paramilitary RSF was a “grave insult” to the Sudanese people, who are suffering the scourge of war and cannot afford to coexist with criminals.
“The invitation of a fascist militia delegation to participate in a conference on peace and security in Africa constitutes a grave insult to what Sudanese are facing at the hands of mercenary criminals,” the statement said.
Before leaving for Port Sudan, Agar reportedly told the conference organisers that hosting the RSF was an attempt to force the Sudanese to coexist with the crimes of the criminal militia and that such an attempt would be resisted.
In a media interview after his presentation at Sunday’s open session, RSF Deputy Leader General Hamdan, for his part, claimed that his group was motivated by the need to restore democracy in the north-east African country and insisted that it was not interested in power.
“We control 70 per cent of Sudan. We have instituted political control. That demonstrates that we are not interested in seizing political power, but in restoring democracy to the suffering Sudanese,” he told journalists.
An estimated 150,000 people have already been killed in the raging conflict, while more than 10 million have been displaced. To end the carnage, Hamdan, speaking originally in Arabic, said the war would end ‘today’ if the ruling party accepted the terms of the ceasefire and came to the negotiating table. But change, he said, would have to come through a military solution if al-Burhan’s side remained recalcitrant.
A prepared speech by RSF Commander, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, presented by Hamdan, insisted that the war instigated by the rival group was aimed “to halt the process of change and obstruct the return to democratic transition” that was being realised with the signing of the Framework Political Agreement.
“War was never a choice for RSF. Our stance has always been, and remains, steadfast in support of peace and a democratic civilian government led by genuine democratic forces from all regions of Sudan, especially the marginalised areas, women and youth. We have made undeniable efforts towards achieving civilian governments and ending the war,” he told the gathering.
The speech highlighted 10 guiding principles for RSF to end the war. These include the establishment of a democratic and civilian-led system of government; the empowerment of citizens in Sudan’s peripheries to manage their economic, political, social and cultural affairs; the removal of illegitimate monopolies of power and influence; and the recognition of the correct approach to achieving peace.
Other demands include recognition of the need to build a new Sudanese army from the existing diverse forces, and recognition of the need for legal reforms to combat hate speech and racism.
This is not the first failed attempt to bring factional leaders together for peace talks. Last month, the ruling party boycotted the US-led mediation in Switzerland, which was not attended by al-Burhan or his representative, dashing hopes that the Geneva meeting could provide an opportunity for a ceasefire deal.
Mbeki, who also confirmed the boycott of the TSC, said African leaders would continue to engage the warring parties and commended the RSF for its commitment to exploring options for a peaceful resolution to the political crisis.
Mbeki also condemned the African Union (AU) for inaction in the face of many challenges. He said candidates for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC) must demonstrate a clear vision for reinventing the continental body.
“There is something radically wrong with the AU. Look at the conflict in Sudan. Where is the AU with regard to the resolution of this conflict?” he asked.
