The unlikely journey of Sudan’s Gen Mohamed Dagalo from cattle trader to powerful warlord now battling the nation’s army is thanks to the Darfur native’s guile and a nation ruled for decades by power-hungry generals.
Better known by the nickname Hemedti, Gen Dagalo and his paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are a by-product of the Darfur war in the 2000s.
The conflict left 300,000 dead and 2.5 million displaced. Its ramifications continue to shape Sudan’s politics to this day.
The roots of the general and his RSF are in the Arab Janjaweed militias, whose rise to the position of strength they have today is owed in large part to the support of former dictator Omar Al Bashir and the chaos and lawlessness that so often engulf the Afro-Arab nation of 44 million.
Now locked in a bitter, winner-take-all urban war against his former ally — army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan — Gen Dagalo is looking for an outcome that would turn into reality his dream of becoming the country’s top soldier and the source of ultimate power.
“A lust for power is at the very heart of this conflict and war was the only option for both parties to attain it,” said Abla Karar, a senior member of the main pro-democracy coalition, the civilian group Forces for Freedom and Change.
It may look like a reach for Gen Dagalo to be trying to secure a position of supremacy. But, if realised, it would crown years of manoeuvring and brinkmanship against enemies with greater political clout or superior firepower.
Al Bashir loyalist
A school dropout who never attended military college, Gen Dagalo owes his high rank to Al Bashir who bestowed it on him as a reward for his support in the Darfur war.
The former dictator also legalised the RSF in 2013 and his parliament made it a part of the armed forces, albeit with a high degree of autonomy, in 2017.
To Al Bashir, Gen Dagalo and the RSF were best placed to protect him and his regime against ambitious generals or the mass street protests that took place in 2018 and 2019.
But Gen Dagalo switched sides, refusing to crush the protests and playing a key role in removing his patron and benefactor from power in April 2019.
Gen Dagalo’s choices served him well. His men stayed in Khartoum and his participation in a joint military-civilian administration that took power in August 2019 gave him a level of legitimacy that allowed him to court regional powers.
Russia also saw in Sudan’s rising star a useful ally to help it gain a strategic foothold on Sudan’s Red Sea coast.
Awash with money, the RSF expanded and now boasts 100,000 men, large economic interests including gold mining and the confidence to buy weapons abroad and retain foreign military advisers.
Acceptance at home remains elusive, particularly in the powerful pro-democracy movement, and it may just be the one thing that denies him his dream.
But he has not given up trying.
He has frequently used his part in overthrowing Al Bashir as evidence of his disdain for dictatorship.
More recently, he has professed a desire to see a democratic, civilian-led Sudan, accusing Gen Al Burhan and his associates of clinging to power.
More recently, he has accused the army of forging an alliance with extremists loyal to Al Bashir regime.
But the RSF’s record of systematic abuse of Darfur civilians and its participation in the deadly break-up in June 2019 of a sit-in protest outside the armed forces’ headquarters — at least 100 were killed and thousands were wounded — make his acceptance by the pro-democracy movement virtually impossible.
“We will wait and see who wins this battle. When a victor emerges, we will rally against that party on the streets to force it out,” said Sulaima Ishaq, a veteran rights campaigner.
Gen Dagalo was asked by a local television network this week about what he would do if the RSF emerged victorious from the battle that began on April 15.
“All I want is to stay with the Rapid Support Forces,” he said. “The winner of this war loses, too.”
But the fighting, interrupted by only short-lived spells of quiet, may never produce a definitive winner, in part because of the nature of urban warfare, said Mohamed Anis Salem, a former career diplomat who now sits on the Cairo-based think tank the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs.
“This one has the ingredients of becoming a prolonged, low-intensity conflict with neither side able to defeat the other,” Mr Salem told The National.
“It is the kind of conflict in which civilians pay the highest price and which also attracts foreign players.”
And because a clear winner is unlikely, he said, Sudan could break up under the strain of a prolonged conflict with Gen Dagalo’s native Darfur a top candidate for secession.
South Sudan seceded in 2011 after more than 20 years of civil war, something that cost the nation a third of its original size as well as most of its oil wealth.
Another narrative employed by Gen Dagalo to improve his image is one that paints him as a champion of the cause of the “peripheries” — Sudanese political parlance for outlying regions suffering underdevelopment or discrimination by Khartoum’s ruling political and military establishment whose members invariably hail from the north of the country.
It’s a narrative, warns Mr Salem, that could encourage the secession of a region like Darfur where Gen Dagalo has considerable leverage among cattle-herding Arab tribes with a long history of enmity with farming communities of ethnic Africans.
Recently, Gen Dagalo has been playing down that rivalry, arguing that Darfur’s Arabs and Africans were equally victimised by Khartoum and have more in common than outsiders believe.
Last year, he spent a total of five months, including three in one stretch, in Darfur, meeting tribal leaders and local army and police commanders. It was an unusually long trip for someone who holds the nation’s most senior position after Gen Al Burhan’s.
The other key narrative Gen Dagalo has been using for weeks and which he has intensified since the fighting began is that extremists loyal to Al Bashir were fighting on the army’s side.
In the weeks running up to the outbreak of hostilities, Gen Dagalo has distanced himself from the October 2021 takeover he co-led with Gen Al Burhan, saying it served as a gateway for Al Bashir loyalists to make a political comeback.
There is no hard evidence to support that claim, but prominent Sudanese analyst Rasha Awad is one of several who believe the hostilities were instigated at least in part by extremists within the army who remain loyal to Al Bashir’s regime.
“This fight is essentially between the RSF and a segment of the army made up of extremists loyal to Al Bashir’s regime. They pressured Al Burhan into starting this fight,” she told The National.
“They have a score to settle with him [Gen Dagalo],” she said, alluding to the RSF’s decision not to support the former president’s regime when faced with the protests of 2018 and 2019.
“To him (Gen Dagalo], this is an existential battle,” Ms Awad said. “To Sudan, it is a battle that is ripping it apart and threatens to evolve into a full-fledged civil war.”
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LAST 16 DRAW
Borussia Dortmund v PSG
Real Madrid v Manchester City
Atalanta v Valencia
Atletico Madrid v Liverpool
Chelsea v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Juventus
Tottenham v Leipzig
Napoli v Barcelona
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Big%20Ape%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LucasArts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20PlayStation%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
More on Quran memorisation:
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m; Winner: MM Al Balqaa, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Qaiss Aboud (trainer)
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: AF Rasam, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mujeeb, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Pat Dobbs, Ibrahim Aseel
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Nibraas, Richard Mullen, Nicholas Bachalard
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
More coverage from the Future Forum
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
