Rapid Support Forces and the Fires of War

I stand as a witness before God and the nation to what I saw on Thursday, April 13, 2023. A massive convoy of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), equipped with heavy tanks, arrived from the Al-Zarq base, as we later learned. It openly entered central Khartoum in broad daylight and within sight of the army’s leadership.

At first glance, as I stood with my friend, Professor Abdelwahid Al-Amin, Director of General Resources at the Central Bank of Sudan, and with my car visible on the right side, we assumed it was a military convoy belonging to the Armed Forces due to the tension in Merowe Airport. However, we soon realized that this massive convoy belonged to the RSF.

On the morning of Friday, I also witnessed a significant RSF deployment on University Street near the intersection with the Presidential Palace, reminiscent of the early days of the revolution. Meanwhile, the army’s presence appeared normal as always, stationed in front of the Republican Palace and its guards. The old Republican Palace, however, had become one of the RSF’s strongholds, along with the national radio and television stations and other institutions.

Regarding the Sports City, it was fully handed over to the RSF, where approximately 2,000 armed vehicles were assembled. The occupation of airports began on April 12, with Merowe and Al-Ubayyid surrounded by April 14. As for the Al-Bagir camp, it was surrendered by the camp’s deputy commander to the RSF. He, along with the deputy commanders of Merowe and the Camel Corps, were among those set to be announced as part of the new military council.

Other preparations were limited due to the surprise factor on the morning of April 15, 2023. Many other RSF units and camps in Khartoum and across Sudan were not informed, as the likelihood of the coup’s success was very high due to the disparity in forces during the attack on the General Command. However, thanks to the sacrifice of the Presidential Guard soldiers and officers, the largest five-party conspiracy was thwarted. What followed was a battle between militias and the Sudanese people.

As a member of the executive office of the Communist Party, I testify to all this. Although we have longstanding enmity with our Islamist opponents, attempts by Taqaddum (a political coalition) and its leaders to blame them entirely for igniting the war are cheap political exploitation. They are well aware that the Islamists, along with the Quartet and Volker [UN representative], were partners with the RSF in what transpired.

Efforts to justify the Islamists’ stance by pointing to certain individuals’ presence on April 17 only raise more questions. What about the events at Merowe Airport, on April 13, and the evening of April 14, when Abdelrahim Dagalo [RSF leader’s brother] threatened in front of us to bring military leaders “in chains” before the judiciary?

On the evening of April 14, the Communist Party received a confidential memorandum about a meeting scheduled for the evening of Sunday, April 16. They requested the attendance of Engineer Sadiq, who openly asked the messenger in our presence: “Have you guaranteed the success of your coup? We will not be part of this, as you underestimate the army—and the army is not just Al-Burhan.”