The commander of Sudan’s most powerful paramilitary says he is committed to the goal of creating a “single army”, a reference to calls to integrate his Rapid Support Forces into the military.
Gen Mohamed Dagalo said this would be “according to agreed-upon timelines as per the [December 4] framework agreement, and we are sincerely committed to being involved in security and military reform”.
However, he did not specifically mention the integration of the RSF into the armed forces, raising the possibility that he might be looking for a way that allows him to retain command of his feared unit.
“The Sudanese military is a historic institution and it will not be captured by any party,” Gen Dagalo said in address to the nation on Sunday.
“We are part of it and we will not spare any effort to defend it from anyone who abuses or belittles it.”
His remarks came two days after Sudan's military ruler Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan said he would only enforce the agreement if there was “clear and convincing language” about integrating the RSF and former rebels into the armed forces.
The December 4 deal was agreed on by the military and a major opposition coalition to resolve a months-long political crisis and restore Sudan’s democratic transition, which was upended when Gen Al Burhan seized power in a military coup in October 2021.
It provides an avenue for the military to quit politics and for a civilian prime minister to steer the country for 24 months until elections are held.
It also recognises the RSF as a legitimate force, stipulates its integration into the armed forces and calls for the reform of military and security and intelligence agencies.
The RSF, created by ousted dictator Omar Al Bashir in 2013, has its roots in the feared Janjaweed militia that fought on the government’s side against rebels in the western Darfur region in the 2000s.
The militia is widely believed to have committed widespread atrocities against civilians during that conflict.
It is also suspected of being behind the deadly clampdown on a sit-in protest camp outside the armed forces’ headquarters in central Khartoum in June 2019.
Gen Dagalo is now Gen Al Burhan’s deputy on the military-led Sovereign Council but there are persistent reports that the pair are at odds as they vie for power, the support of regional countries and a political future with immunity from prosecution after they step down.
The integration of the RSF into the armed forces has long been a demand of pro-democracy groups but Gen Dagalo is known to be reluctant to give up absolute control over a force that is heavily armed and combat seasoned.
Units of the RSF have been deployed throughout Khartoum and across much of Sudan in what many believe is a show of force.
In his remarks on Sunday, Gen Dagalo also warned against any meddling by Islamists who lost control of the country in 2019 with the overthrow of Al Bashir.
“We will not allow elements of the vanquished [Al Bashir] regime to drive a wedge between the Rapid Support Forces and the army,” he said.
However, he said the October 2021 coup was a mistake that served as a “gateway” for Al Bashir loyalists to make a political comeback.
“I realised from the first day that it will not deliver what we had hoped for,” said Gen Dagalo, who supported the 2021 power grab, joining Gen Al Burhan in justifying it as a necessary measure to spare the country from a civil war and stop civilian politicians from sowing divisions among Sudan’s many ethnic and religious communities.
Gen Dagalo left Khartoum for the UAE on Sunday night. His trip follows Gen Al Burhan's visit to the Emirates earlier in February.
The UAE — along with the US, the UK, Norway and Saudi Arabia — played a major role in mediating weeks of tortuous negotiations that resulted in the December agreement.
The negotiations also involved representatives of the UN, the African Union and the regional the International Fund for Agricultural Development group.
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
Pakistan T20 series squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Sevilla v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (7.15pm)
Eibar v Valencia (9.30pm)
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (11.45pm)
Sunday
Girona v Getafe (3pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7.15pm)
Las Palmas v Espanyol (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Deportivo la Coruna (11.45pm)
Monday
Malaga v Real Betis (midnight)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
The Light of the Moon
Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
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'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Racecard
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THE%20JERSEYS
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RESULTS
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