Sudan’s sanctioned warring faction, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are preparing a parallel administration for Sudan, on the backing of Nairobi, in what could likely annoy the junta in Khartoum.
A preparatory committee said it has organised a signing ceremony for a political charter for ‘the Government of Peace and Unity’ on Tuesday in Nairobi, and Sudanese media reported RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo had already arrived in Nairobi on Sunday for the event.
The signatories will include the RSF, allied armed movements and some political and civil movements such as the Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) led by al-Hadi Idris and a splinter group of the civilian movements known as Taqqadum will be joining too, potentially widening the gaps among the civilian groups.
The EastAfrican learnt that Civil Democratic Alliance for the Forces of the Revolution (SOMOD), led by Abdalla Hamdok, a former transitional Prime Minister ousted in October 2021, won’t be taking part. He was incidentally toppled by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF when they then worked on the same side.
The Committee said the charter aims to “restore the legitimate government that was overthrown by remnants and militias of the Islamic Movement, and 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.” They were referring to the remnants of Omar al-Bashir’s administration which was ousted in 2019 by the military, following months of civilian protests. The transitional government that followed was also toppled two years later, however.
The formation of this administration had long been hinted from last year as Nairobi pushed for a third track of influence to halt the continual war in Sudan between the RSF and the junta, which controls the Sudanese army.
But the event itself could be controversial because the RSF, just as the SAF have been sanctioned for pursuing violence in Sudan in a war that has seen more than 23,000 deaths, 11 million displacements and a massive damage to the economy of the country.
In January, the US imposed sanctions on the RSF leader Dagalo, RSF and allied militias for committing genocide in Sudan. It also imposed sanctions on Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudan Sovereignty Council as the junta is known, several allied leaders and related firms for violence. When the sanctions were announced, the RSF had prepared a press conference in Nairobi, which they then cancelled on the advice of authorities in Nairobi.
But Nairobi has continued to pursue the third-track bid. Last week on Friday, it joined Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) to organise a high-level pledging conference in Addis Ababa, on the sidelines of the African Union Summit. The three countries cumulatively helped raise $216 million initial money to support a peace bid.
“Kenya continues to urge warring parties to recognise that military solutions if any do not bring sustainable peace,” Kenya’s President William Ruto told an audience on Friday at the conference.
“We encourage all Sudanese stakeholders to commit to a political solution through genuine dialogue.”
The conference was attended by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Kenyan President William Ruto, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, and Igad Secretary-General Workneh Gebeyehu, alongside a number of regional and international officials. The SAF protested its organisation as a violation of Sudanese sovereignty.
Although the conference did not indicate where the money will go, some allied groups were indicating the money will help them form the parallel administration.
Al-Hadi Idris, the leader of the SLM-TC said on Saturday they will be forming a peace government in Sudan using the pledged money.
He claimed that the African Union would then be expected to recognise the new outfit, somewhat suggesting a path to legitimise the RSF. The speech, in a recorded video, was surprising because Idris had often claimed neutrality in the conflict between RSF and SAF although he later started to advocate for peace among civilian groups known as Taqqadum.
The African Union, however, said on Sunday that Sudan will not be readmitted to the AU activities just yet. Bankole Adeoye, the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Political and Security Affairs, said Khartoum has not made progress to respect the AU policy on democracy and governance.
“Sudan is in our hearts and prayers, but we also want Sudan to stop the war so that we can restart the political transition.”
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