In a notable shift in rhetoric, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has called for peaceful dialogue with Egypt to resolve ongoing tensions. The conciliatory statement comes after Dagalo—widely known as Hemedti—had previously accused Cairo of siding with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) by allegedly providing them with military support.
Delivering a rare speech to his fighters in the Darfur region, Hemedti struck a markedly different tone as he addressed the strained relationship with Sudan’s northern neighbour. “We respect our Egyptian neighbours, and any problem can be solved through dialogue and discussion,” he said, suggesting a turn away from the hostilities that have characterised much of his previous rhetoric. He further alleged that “criminals” were behind attempts to sabotage relations between the RSF and neighbouring countries.
Hemedti’s remarks follow his forces’ recent capture of the contested Oweinat border triangle, where Sudan, Libya, and Egypt converge. He claimed the move was intended to bolster security and combat “terrorism, smuggling, and human trafficking.” Despite the military implications of the RSF’s advancement in the region, Hemedti reiterated, “The Rapid Support Forces have no problem with any neighbouring country.”
Since the collapse of the fragile power-sharing agreement between the RSF and the SAF in April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal internal conflict that has displaced millions and ignited a humanitarian crisis. As the war grinds on, Hemedti vowed in his speech to facilitate aid delivery in Darfur and committed to paying his fighters’ back wages, overdue since the beginning of the conflict.
Although he continued his verbal assaults on the SAF and promised to defeat their remaining strongholds, Hemedti also extended an olive branch to other armed leaders traditionally allied with the Sudanese army. “We have no problem with Minni (Arko Minnawi) and Jibril (Ibrahim),” he declared, referring to the leaders of the Sudan Liberation Movement and Justice and Equality Movement respectively. “If they come to us today, they are welcome.”
Sudan Warns African Nations over Dealings with Hamdok-led Coalition
While Hemedti attempted to reposition the RSF diplomatically, Sudan’s internationally recognised government responded forcefully to recent diplomatic moves by civilian opposition groups. In a sharply worded statement, the foreign ministry condemned African nations for engaging with the Civilian Democratic Alliance for Revolutionary Forces, or Somoud—a coalition led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
The rebuke came just days after Hamdok’s delegation met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to urge international backing for a ceasefire and humanitarian intervention. Sudan’s foreign ministry accused the Somoud coalition of operating as a “political arm of the United Arab Emirates” and criticised their efforts to seek a political solution that included recognition of RSF-held territories.
The government further asserted that the group had “granted legitimacy to the RSF” by signing a January 2024 agreement that included establishing a civil administration within RSF-controlled areas. That deal had originally been signed by Tagadum, a now-defunct coalition, from which the Somoud alliance emerged after a split over strategy. While Somoud rejected the idea of a parallel government, the faction that supported it later rebranded as Tasis.
The Sudanese government’s statement went on to blame the Somoud group for exacerbating the conflict by “insisting on monopolizing civilian representation” and obstructing earlier national dialogue initiatives aimed at de-escalation.
As Sudan’s civil war stretches into its third year, both military and civilian actors continue to compete for influence and legitimacy, shaping not only the battlefield but the region’s diplomatic theatre. While the RSF leader’s softer tone toward Egypt signals a potential opening for dialogue, mounting political infighting and regional mistrust continue to complicate efforts to end the conflict.
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