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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Khartoum - Mohammed Amin Yassin, Ahmed Younes

Sudan's Opposition Accuses Hemedti of 'Eluding' to Remain in Power

Widespread protests in Khartoum demanding civilian-led rule (Reuters)

Sudan's Vice President of the Sovereign Council Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, voiced support to the army's measures to withdraw from politics.

Some opposition factions considered that Hemedti's position was not new, saying it was one of the military tactics to remain in power.

Hemedti, also the Rapid Support Forces commander, pledged to relinquish power to civilians, stressing that the military institution would not remain in power, calling on the uniformed services personnel to devote themselves to fulfilling their duties.

He added that the President of the Council decided to provide the opportunity for the revolutionary and national forces to agree on a civilian-led government without interference from the military establishment.

"All the revolutionary and national political forces must speed up reaching urgent solutions that lead to the formation of transitional governance institutions," he noted.

Hemedti affirmed his commitment to work with the Sudanese army and all the nationals to ensure the military institution will carry out its constitutional tasks, reform the military and security institution, and complete the security arrangements as stipulated in the Juba Peace Agreement.

He urged an urgent political solution to the country's crises between all political and revolutionary forces.

Hemedti said that he discussed with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan withdrawing the army from the political talks.

On Jul 04, Sudan's leading general, the country's military, will withdraw from negotiations meant to solve the ongoing political crisis after a last-minute coup, allowing civil society representatives to take their place.

Hemedti warned of "local and foreign schemes" against the country, saying the current crisis in Sudan is the most dangerous in its modern history, threatening its unity, safety, and security.

The military official asserted that he would not remain silent about anything threatening Sudan's stability, security, and citizens.

Member of the National Umma Party politburo, Yasser Jalal, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hemedti's current position is part of the army's tactics in dealing with the political crisis they created following the coup last October.

Jalal stressed that the military institution continues to perform political functions that are not among the tasks of the military institutions, referring to Hemedti's talk about his return to Darfur to pursue the peace talks.

The official noted that Hemedti's reference to a unified professional army was not clear about the fate of his forces and whether he would accept their integration into the armed forces or refer to other armed factions.

Jalal clarified that although the Rapid Support Forces are part of the armed forces, they are independent and exercise their functions utterly free from other uniformed services.

The Umma Party official noted that there would be no democratic transition in the country without integrating the armed factions into the army and subjecting them to the political decision represented by the civilian authority.

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