In an interview last night with the BBC, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, nicknamed “Hemetti”, said he did not want to stand in the 2023 elections. But he could reconsider his position if the situation in the country continued to deteriorate.
“ The October coup failed. We failed to bring about change. The situation only got worse “Hemetti” said from El Geneina, Darfur. Words that stand out by their frankness, but which are far from being innocent, because for a long time the head of the rapid support forces (RSF) has shaped his image as a leader and peacemaker. “Hemetti” is number two in the Sovereignty Council, the body that runs the country and is made up entirely of soldiers, especially since the coup last October. He has also led the RSF since 2013. The paramilitaries are accused of bloody crimes in Darfur during the civil war, and multiple abuses over the years in the country.
” I have no ambition to stand for election. But if we see that Sudan is heading towards the abyss, we will be there, we are part of the Sudanese people “, he thus confided, revealing for the first time political ambitions.
But for months, “Hemetti” has been taking care of its public relations and its stature. He officially left to settle in Darfur to seal reconciliation agreements between Arab and non-Arab tribes. He pledged to pay out of his own pocket compensation for the families of the victims. He also promised the creation of a special fund to guarantee the return of the displaced.
Some believe that with his influence and his fortune, he represents a serious candidate. But others hate him. If some interpret his activism and its promises as a communication operation, others see it as a way of proving its influence, even of showing itself to be essential to the stability of the country.
Researcher Jérôme Tubiana, a specialist in Sudan, is not surprised by the words of the warlord: ” It already plays a political role, a military role, an important economic role. »
If it is not realistic, it is firstly because he is not part of the traditional Sudanese elite, he is not educated, he is not from the center of the country, he is from Darfur and no Darfurian has ever ruled this country…
Jérôme Tubiana, researcher