A Former Member of the Military Council: The War in Sudan is Over

Interview: Musab Mahmoud

The former member of the Transitional Military Council, General Salah Abdel-Khalig, described what the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Militia did on April 15, 2023, as a full-fledged coup. The coup failed after half an hour in front of the commander-in-chief’s house because they were unable to arrest the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Hemeidti’s Arrogance

The former military commander revealed, in an interview with Sudanese Echoes, information to be published for the first time about the first days of the army’s takeover of power in April 2019. He revealed that the outlaw RSF commander, Hemeidti, was the one who urged President Al-Bashir must go to prison instead of house arrest in his home at the General Command. Asked about his opinion on Hemeidti’s personality after the revolution, saying that Hemeidti had become an arrogant person, particularly after his participation in the Decisive Storm Operation, adding that you cannot enter his office unless you undergo a medical examination.

Weak Parties

He pointed out that the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) parties did not want elections to be held after the transitional period due to their weakness and because they do not have popular support enable them to win the ballot box, so they are till today opposing them.

General Abdel-khalig denied involvement of a third party in igniting the war according to the Forces of Freedom and Change hypothesis, saying, “There is no third party,” adding that the arrival of the Rapid Support Forces to Merawi was the beginning of the war.

The war is over

Regarding the question when the war will end, the former military commander said that the outlaw Rapid Support Forces are now without commandership and have lost the solid mass that drives them, and he continued: “Any army that loses its solid force means the war is over”.

General Abdel-khalig asserted that the Sudanese people will not accept the insurgent RSF militia again. “If we accept the RSF militia again, it means that we are not -).

In the same context, General Abdel-khalig said that he is communicating with President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council within the framework of social ties.