Between Rapid Support and the People’s Movement: Dishonoring Accords (2-2)

By Abdalla Ali Ibrahim

The Sudanese Journalist Othman Fadlallah raised an issue related to the nature of the “Rapid Support Forces (RSF)” and its structures that have rarely been raised within the discourse handling the issue. Fadlallah said that the situation in the war is approaching the stage of disruptiveness. He has however maintained that the evidence of this situation could clearly be seen on the side, but he said that the evidence of this chaos is the clearest within the RSF. The composition of these forces, he argued, differed today compared to what it was on April 15th, the date of the outbreak of the current war in the Sudan. The RSF were semi-regular force in accordance with the laws, but it today it ended in the form of an alliance of six militias, and even brought along a group known as a “UM-Bagha”-and the “Kasaba”who fight for a single objective which is war spoils.
The RSF, according to Fadlallah, is no longer a unified army, but rather military groups whose leaders look for ways to coordinate between them. But “all indicators suggest the possibility of their disintegration and their transformation into gangs that attack cities for looting and pillaging given the weakness of the security and military apparatus.” And the sources according to Fadlallah indicate the awareness of the leaders of “RSF” about this negative development and their endeavor to avoid its fate that brought them rebukes from Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, who accused the RSF of committing crimes against humanity. The awareness of the RSF about what this chaos would bring home, has pushed them to express their regret over the incidents of tribal violence that took place in Deling and its surroundings in the state of South Kordufan, about a week ago.

The RSF mourned the loss of lives as a result of this violence, the destruction of property, and the tribal polarization which were not expected from any side at this critical stage in the war against the remnants of the old regime who are behind the army. The RSF condemned in strong terms the tribal violence in and around the Deling, and stressed that the RSF stands at the same distance from all tribal components. It appealed to the native leaders of the region to deny the opportunity for those looking to undermine their security and stability “for the sake of achieving their own political gains which they could not achieve in the field of war, they spurred in Khartoum.” The RSF” renewed their commitment to establish the state based on citizenship away from any discrimination in a country that was distinguished by the diversity which the RSF want to be a source of strength, wealth and stability.
The events that took place in Deling which the RSF has denounced were not a tribal conflict, as they would like to have us understand. In fact, it was the RSF war was against the People’s movement – Helu Faction, which is establishing a state of its own in the “liberated land” in the Nuba Mountains since 2011. It is their war on behalf of their ethnic group from the Arab Baggara against the SPLM and its group of Nuba people. The battle between them took place at the “Tukma” military base (10 kilometers of Deling). “Rapid Support” came with thousands of fighters and stormed the base that the SPLM controlled last August. After two hours of fighting, the SPLM Army withdrew, only for the RSF to set fire on the houses and dwellings of the population who are mostly from the Nuba and they fled to the Deling.
Then, the People’s Army returned after organizing its ranks to control the “Tukma” again. The residents of the city dispersed ethnically under the barrage of shelling and fire, so the Baggara headed to an area that was controlled by RSF, while the Nubians went to the western mountains controlled by the SPLM.

This distinction was marred by a severe hate speech between the parties that left the mixed families from the mixed ethnicities in a state of confusion as to where they should head and shelter.
If we do not consider “rapid support”, statement in which they disavowed from the “Tukma” battle, and considered it only a blind conflict away from the major battle against the remnants and their army, from among the RSF plans to clear its image of racism that tarnished it, then it is possible that we could consider it an initiative the RSF has unleashed to avoid widening the gap between the RSF and the SPLM. The outbreak of this war between the two sides violated an agreement they had concluded last May, stipulating that they act as a single rifle together in face of the army. The RSF guaranteed the control of the north and west of Kordufan, while the People’s Army guaranteed the occupation of all the army military units in the Nuba Mountains. This plan was based on an understanding of an ethnic serenity geographically, which is none existent in the historical and social overlap between the two groups. Thus a clash occurring between them, immediately the RSF was called for by the Baggara group in the north of the city of Deling to come for their rescue and it did. In the meantime, the RSF arranged at the same time to occupy Deling, which is controlled by the Armed Forces. This was not accepted by the SPLM. The Deling being the queen of cities, the Nuba Mountains, and most of the army troops hail from the Nubians themselves, an average of 40 percent. With the neutrality of the army between them, it turned a blind eye to the movements of the SPLA in the city of Deling and the establishment of its armed platforms, so that it responded in kind to the movement of the RSF whenever it tries to overrun Deling.
The chaos, which characterizes the formation of the RSF and to which Fadullah has pinpointed, is deeply ingrained in them, whatever be the outcome of the confrontation with the SPLA.
The RSF was unable to fulfill their pledge with the because they have “come out in support “(which the habit of groups living in the wilderness to come rushing in support of another groups that faces or confronts a calamity) of their racial incubators who are the Baggara in south Kordufan. As the poet once said whenever they call for help, he would just hurriedly come to their help not asking what was wrong or why
This is what happened this time. The movement the incubator was inflicted, the RSF come in hurry to their rescue, even if this would violate an agreement, such as its agreement with the People’s Army, which did not intervene in between the SPLA and the army.

The RSF previously intervened to support the Baggara of this region in August 2022, but peacefully. Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo asked Salva Kiir, President of the Republic of South Sudan, to mediate with Abdul-Aziz Al -Helou, the leader of the People’s Army, to release a group of Baggara detainees, of course relying on the ancient relationship between SPLA a Hilo and the SPLA of South Sudan, during ancient times of Sudan before secession
Perhaps, the RSF and the SPLA have now called the spade a spade, if they returned during the days of the Tarouji battle between them in 2015
The Ingaz or salvation regime had sent “RSF” to storm the fortified headquarters on the Nuba Mountains (Kauda), and the ousted president, Omar Al -Bashir had allowed himself to dream of “praying in Kauda” whenever the SPLA-Hilo faction were defeated or as he day-dreamt. But the RSF were defeated and returned back empty handed dragging their feet.
Perhaps we were very late in examining the formation and structures of forces such as RSF which might, in accordance with the three possibilities of the war outcome, be raised to the helm of power in the country.