Two major Sudanese groups join hands with the army to fight Rapid Support Forces

Two major Sudanese groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minawi and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), have joined hands with the Sudanese army to fight the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing conflict that has devastated Sudan.

The RSF has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and numerous violations, including ethnic cleansing. The two groups announced their decision to join military operations against the RSF at a press conference held in Port Sudan yesterday. They condemned the RSF's transgressions and declared their active participation in military operations on all fronts without hesitation.

The joint statement issued by the two groups stated that they could not remain neutral in light of the RSF's repeated assaults on cities, villages, and defenseless civilians, resulting in fatalities and displacement, coupled with the present danger to humanitarian and commercial convoys through attempts to sever supply routes to various areas. The armed groups emphasized their unwavering commitment to the unity of Sudan, encompassing its land and people, and pledged to thwart any ongoing attempts to dismantle the country.

The statement also appealed to Chad, urging it to cease its support for the RSF, and called on other regional nations supporting the paramilitary forces to refrain from blatant interference in Sudanese affairs. There have been persistent claims that Chad has become a conduit for the transfer of weapons and military supplies from the UAE to the RSF through the Um Jaras airport in Chad, apparently with the clear support of leaders of both countries.

The two principal players in the seven-month-old Sudan civil war are two generals. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, is the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The two generals have been sharing power since late 2021, when they jointly carried out a coup that ejected civilians from a transitional government.

Both generals played key roles in the counter-insurgency against Darfuri rebels, in the civil war in Sudan's western region that began in 2003. Hemedti was the commander of one of the many Arab militias, collectively known as the Janjaweed, which the government employed to brutally put down the largely non-Arab Darfuri rebel groups.

The two generals have faced calls from civilian leaders and victims of the conflict in Darfur and elsewhere to face trial for alleged abuses.