In Sudan, the ambitious Hemedti, number 2 of the junta, marks his independence

In Sudan the ambitious Hemedti number 2 of the junta

The soldier distances himself from the conventional forces while he and his brother are at the head of the Rapid Support Forces.

In Sudan, the process leading to the return of power to a civilian government is advancing. Saturday opened the penultimate of the “conferences” provided for by the framework agreement of December 5 between the opposition and the military. This time, the work concerns transitional justice. Only one conference remains to be held: that concerning the reform of the armed forces. But this is where the political tension grows.

The general Mohammed Hamdan Dogolo “Hemedti”, leader of the paramilitary forces known as the Rapid Support Forces and number 2 of the junta, now publicly appears to be at odds with the regular army, which he accuses of collusion with the Islamists and the forces of the old regimeOmar al-Bashir.

On Tuesday, for example, he demanded a trial ” fair, transparent and public for the police officer who shot dead a young protester on February 28. The crime had been filmed and caused a wave of indignation.

The tension is growing

And his deputy, Abdelrahim Dagalo, who is also his brother, went even further: “ We say to those in power : deliver it to the people without looking back, he declared during a rally. From today, we will no longer allow the murder of young protesters, nor the detention of politicians. »

Sign of rising tensions: On Wednesday, a leader of the Rapid Support Forces confirmed with the Sudan Tribune that 700 men had been transferred to Khartoum to follow ” a training planned for a long time, according to him. A Sudanese political journalist explains that Hemedti, ” through his maneuvers, intends above all to present himself as a rebel against the Islamists, while his political future is dependent on the application of the framework agreement “.

Read also: Sudan: “Hemedti” refuses the integration into the army of its Rapid Support Forces

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