Hemedti to free ‘prisoners’ in deal with Sudan civilian movements

Sudan’s leader of the rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemedti has pledged to free hundreds of prisoners in its custody and open humanitarian corridors, a deal reached with civilian movements showed on Tuesday.

Hemedti who has been on a recent shuttle diplomacy in the Horn of Africa met with representatives of political and civilian movements in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from Monday.

On Tuesday, a dispatch said the RSF will “release 451 prisoners and open safe corridors for civilians in areas under their control.”

The declaration also stipulated “the formation of a joint committee to end the war and establish sustainable peace, and an independent national committee to monitor all violations in the country and identify those responsible.”

The declaration may not amount much on the ground but could give the RSF, accused of atrocities against civilians in Sudan, some boost on its image as Hemedti lobbies for acceptance in the region.

On the week his rival, Sudan Armed Forces leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stayed in Port Sudan, his new capital, celebrating the country’s independence Day, Hemedti was preparing to visit more countries in the Horn.

An itinerary shared by a close contact showed he was due in Nairobi, just days after touring Uganda and Djibouti to undo what Burhan had done in lobbying.

Latest shuttle diplomacy

In Addis Ababa, the RSF lead met with the civilian movements under the Committee of the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces in Sudan (Taqaddum), led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. They on Tuesday inked a document with Rapid Support Forces with a plan to end the war.

It was the first time since the war began in April last year that Hemedti, one of the warring leaders accused of atrocities, was meeting with the group in his latest shuttle diplomacy.

The declaration, signed by Hamdok on behalf of the civilian groups and Hemedti on behalf of the Rapid Support Forces, includes issues “the cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, the delivery of humanitarian aid, the end of the war and the establishment of the state,” according to a statement by the Committee.

It pointed out that “the parties to the declaration are determined to end the war,” and that "the Rapid Support Forces expressed their full readiness to cease hostilities immediately and unconditionally through direct negotiations with the army."

The civilian movements had, actually, sought audience with both RSF and the SAF, the main warring sides in Sudan war, seeking to end the violence and return the country to a civilian-led transitional government.

Hamdok was the last civilian leader in Sudan, toppled by Burhan and Hemedti in October 2021 before the two fell out earlier last year.

The declaration stressed that "the civilian leadership of the political process has agreed, with a commitment to broad participation of all factions, excluding only the National Congress (the party of former President Omar al-Bashir) and the political Islamic movement and its facades."

Face-to-face meeting

The declaration stressed "the need to represent civilians in an upcoming meeting arranged by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa (IGAD) between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council, and Hemedti."

The coordination is scheduled to present the understandings contained in the "Addis Ababa Declaration" to the army leadership, to be the basis for reaching a peaceful solution, according to the statement.

Hemedti’s meetings are also preparatory. He is scheduled to meet with Burhan at first face-to-face meeting in Djibouti under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Last week, the meeting failed after Burhan opted to shuttle to Uganda instead.

Hamdok is the leader of the Civil Front for Democracy, one of the movements in the Committee group that had been pushing for immediate civilian-led governance. He was Prime Minister of the Transitional Government until October 2021 when he and his administration were deposed, incidentally by Hemedti and his then ally Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudan Armed Forces.

The meeting may signal the maneuvers Hemedti is making to reach out to groups that were opposed to both the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces being in power. His RSF, just as the Sudan Armed Forces, have been accused by rights lobbies of committing atrocities against civilians.

In December, the US State Department said it had found evidence of crimes against humanity and war crimes including ethnic cleansing and rape in the 9-month war.

Hamdok had revealed last week that he had requested an urgent meeting to consult on ways to stop the war, since the two parties had previously expressed their agreement to negotiate and hold consultations with the aim of reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict.