Hemedti Accuses Egypt of Airstrikes and Involvement in Sudanese Conflict
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Sulaiman - . October 10, 2024
- . Update: October 10, 2024 8:30 pm
In a marked escalation of language, Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, sometimes known as Hemedti, has accused Egypt of direct participation in the Sudanese civil conflict. Hemedti claimed in a recorded video statement on Wednesday that Egyptian forces had carried airstrikes aimed at RSF troops, therefore influencing the posture of the paramilitary group in important fighting areas. Furthermore, he said Egypt was helping the Sudanese army with military support including drone supplies and soldier training, therefore supporting the army’s recent developments in the ongoing fight.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in an ongoing conflict that has attracted more attention because of its terrible effects on people and possibility of more regional instability. Hemedti’s charges against Egypt, a nearby country with traditionally close relations to Sudan, add another layer to the strife. His assertion that Egyptian airstrikes have been crucial in changing the balance of power begs questions about outside intervention in Sudan’s internal conflict and the possibility of more regional escalation.
Beyond these claims, Hemedti suggested that the supposed Egyptian assaults employed munitions produced in the United States. He hinted that without American cooperation, such weapons would not have entered the battle area, aggravating Sudan’s relations with the West. Non-specific data, nevertheless, has been shown to support these claims.
Firm Denial of Involvement from Egypt
Responding to Hemedti’s claims, Egypt’s foreign ministry quickly refuted any participation in the battle raging in Sudan. “While Egypt denies those claims, it calls on the international community to ascertain the evidence that proves the truth of what the RSF militia leader said,” the ministry said in a strongly worded statement rejecting the accusations made by the RSF leader. Egypt’s strong response emphasizes its intention to remove itself from the growing conflict as well as its posture as a major regional actor with deep interests in Sudan’s security.
Egypt has been involved in diplomatic attempts to end the conflict even although it has long maintained tight relations with Sudan’s military leadership, particularly with regard to the army’s chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Egypt has pushed for a peaceful conclusion by mediating peace negotiations between Sudan’s warring factions alongside the United States and Saudi Arabia. Cairo hosted debates between opposing political factions earlier this year in an effort to lower tensions and provide a road toward peace. Though Hemedti’s most recent charges strain Egypt’s delicate diplomatic balancing act, these initiatives have not yet produced notable advancement.
More General Charges of Foreign Interference
In his remarks, Hemedti not only focused on Egypt but also charged other foreign players of interfering in the Sudanese strife. He said that fighters from Azerbaijan and Ukraine as well as mercenaries from several nations—including Tigrayan and Eritrean forces—were engaged in activity within Sudan. This claim suggests the multifaceted and layered character of the struggle, in which outside players could be engaged for a range of political and strategic motives. Although the existence of mercenaries has not been directly verified, such claims bring attention to the more general dangers of the Sudanese war attracting in troops and resources from outside its boundaries.
Hemedti also reaffirmed past claims that Iran was helping the Sudanese army with military knowledge and material support, therefore validating earlier accusations. His claims add to the geopolitical mystery around Sudan since other countries might use the conflict as a front stage for their own agenda. Still, a lot of this is theoretical; there is little concrete proof of coordinated global activity in the kind Hemedti detailed.
The State of the Conflict: Army Advancements and Struggles of RSF
Emerging about 18 months ago, the conflict in Sudan shows no signs of abating and both sides have sustained major losses. Once largely in control of most of Sudan’s land, the RSF has come under more strain recently as General al-Burhan’s army makes strategic advances in important areas. Hemedti himself admitted that RSF forces had been forced back in several locations, most notably around the Jebel Moya region in southeast Sudan, which he said Egypt had targeted with bombings.
Reclaiming important areas that had been under RSF control for much of the battle, the army has consolidated its hold in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and the southeast state of Sennar. Though the RSF keeps out in many areas of the nation utilizing guerilla tactics and local alliances to keep its footing, these developments have been vital in changing the momentum of the war. But the violence has caused a disastrous humanitarian disaster with around 10 million displaced and massive famine engulfing the country.
Changing Tone from Hemedti: A Desperate Viewpoint for Harmony
Hemedti seems to take a more austere posture in his most recent speech, giving little optimism for a near-term fix for the strife. Although he had before shown support for peace initiatives, his latest comments point to a change toward being ready for an extended conflict. “There is no one or two, three, four years ending for this war. Some estimate one million soldiers, and soon we will reach one million,” Hemedti said, forebiting Sudan’s future. His comments highlight the possibility of the battle stretching on for years without either side ready to make concessions or back off.
This change in language begs questions regarding the viability of present world peace initiatives. Although outside powers like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia continue to mediate, the lack of concrete progress and the firmly established positions of both the RSF and the Sudanese army point to the conflict perhaps becoming even more difficult. Apart from Sudan, the possibility of a protracted war puts great hazards to the entire area since surrounding nations might get further involved in the battle.
Humanitarian Effect: A Crisis Nation
Sudan suffers one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in recent history while the war rages on. Healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and basic services either completely destroyed or seriously disrupted by the conflict have damaged the nation’s infrastructure. The flood of injured people and troops in the capital city of Khartoum has swamped the sole operational hospital in the northern Bahri region, thereby straining medical resources and personnel.
Apart from the direct effects of the bloodshed, the war has aggravated food shortage; millions of Sudanese people go hungry. Mostly ascribed to the RSF, ethnically motivated violence has spurred crimes against civilians, resulting in waves of mass displacement and widening national differences. With many locations rendered inaccessible owing to the conflict, international relief organizations have battled to offer aid among the worsening security conditions.
With Hemedti’s most recent charges adding even more complication to an already unstable environment, Sudan’s future is still rather unknown. Whether direct or indirect, the participation of foreign actors increases the likelihood of regional destabilization and complicates initiatives of conflict mediation. Both sides seem to be digging in for a protracted and bloody battle as the Sudanese army keeps acquiring territory and the RSF confronts ever more difficult obstacles.
For the millions of Sudanese people caught in the crossfire, peace seemed far off. International initiatives must be revitalized and fresh plans developed to solve the fundamental causes of the conflict as well as the impact of foreign forces. Without such steps, Sudan runs the danger of spiraling more into anarchy with terrible effects for its people and the surrounding area.
