Hemedti orders his troops not to surrender the presidential palace
RSF troops nearly encircled in North Khartoum
The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which rebelled against the military government in 2023, issued an appeal to his forces not to surrender or retreat, amid fierce fighting in central Khartoum.
The speech nixes the idea of an organized retreat from the Sudanese capital, as the RSF had done from several other cities, even as RSF forces in downtown Khartoum risk imminent encirclement due to advances by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
In a pre-recorded address Saturday, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as “Hemedti,” raged against the Sudanese military and its leaders, calling them a “terrorist army” rather than a legitimate government, and he highlighted the RSF’s latest alliances with certain other Sudanese opposition groups.
Hemedti vowed that his forces would maintain their hold on Khartoum, including the presidential palace, which they have controlled since the outbreak of the country’s civil war in April 2023. The paramilitary leader, who once held a position equivalent to that of vice president in the pre-war government, is widely believed to covet the presidency, though he has never said so publicly.
In the initial phase of the conflict, the RSF swiftly seized key locations in the capital, including the presidential palace and Khartoum International Airport, overwhelming army troops that remained loyal to the ruling military junta. However, as the war nears its third year, the balance of power has shifted. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have regained control over most of the capital region, securing Khartoum Bahri and East Nile localities in full, along with substantial areas of Omdurman.
In the capital itself, the SAF is also gaining ground but the RSF still controls prominent landmarks in the central city, as well as many eastern and southern neighborhoods. Additionally, the RSF controls Tuti Island and Jebel Aulia, a city south of Khartoum, where a bridge allows the RSF to reinforce and resupply its troops in the capital.
SAF’s biggest gains in recent weeks have happened in southwestern Khartoum along the so-called “Armored Axis,” whereas SAF troops have stalled on the Mogran Axis and advanced only incrementally in the General Command area.
The latest fighting has taking place around Khartoum 2 in central Khartoum, west of the airport, as SAF yesterday captured the Nile Towers, a residential-commercial complex, and advanced to the Sherwani Bus Station. This brings the SAF troops of the ‘Armored Axis’ close to linking up with General Command, which would trap RSF troops at the Presidential Palace and Al-Mogran District, the northwestern tip of Khartoum, where the Blue and White Nile rivers converge.
The fall of the capital to SAF would be a major symbolic and practical victory for Sudan’s military-led government, though it would not likely end the war. The coming months could see a new phase of grinding urban combat, possibly involving a siege in parts of Khartoum, as the RSF seek to halt a six-month SAF counter-offensive.
Belief in military victory
In his address, delivered from an undisclosed location, Hemedti appeared seated in an official setting, wearing the RSF’s signature desert camouflage uniform. In contrast to prior appearances, Hemedti this time wore a kadmol, a type of turban with cultural significance, associated with Darfur, which is commonly worn by RSF fighters, as well as some other armed groups from Darfur.
He declared that his forces would not retreat from the presidential palace or Mogran:
“The war is inside Khartoum now. It has been ongoing for two years in the presidential palace [area]. Do not think that we will retreat from the palace, from Al-Mogran, or from Khartoum. And as we have said before, there is a cure for every disease. You [the army] are working, and we are working. But by the will of Allah, you will not prevail. ‘Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression while they wander blindly.’ In the end, the Sudanese people will triumph,” he said, quoting Surah Al-Baqarah (2:15) from the Quran.
Hemedti has made only a few appearances since the outbreak of the conflict, always delivering pre-recorded speeches from undisclosed locations. His latest address comes a month and a half after a similar speech in January, which followed the Sudanese army's successful operation to break the RSF siege on its headquarters.
The RSF leader issued a warning to the SAF, declaring that the 17th of Ramadan – which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Badr – would be a day of “regret” for the army. The Battle of Badr, fought on March 13, 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH), was a military encounter in early Islamic history between the Muslims of Medina, led by the Prophet Muhammad, and the Quraysh of Mecca. Taking place near Badr, a settlement southwest of Medina, the battle holds deep symbolic significance in Islamic tradition.
He expressed confidence in his forces’ “ultimate victory,” despite suffering several months of setbacks since the start of a SAF counter-offensive in September 2024.
RSF-backed “constitution” and partition fears
Hemedti’s remarks come two weeks after the RSF and the SPLM-North faction led by Abdelaziz Al Hilu signed a “transitional constitution” in Nairobi. The document formalizes RSF’s control over the entire Darfur region, while recognizing SPLM-North’s authority over Kordofan, and outlines plans for the creation of a joint “national army.”
Civilian signatories are expected to play a role in the parallel government’s portfolios, including ousted members of the civilian opposition coalition, the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), led by former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, who now heads the anti-war group Somoud.
The charter, which also advocates for secularism – an unpopular stance among Sudan’s traditional riverine Arab powerbase – grants the would-be transitional government legitimacy to issue currency, operate airports, and establish embassies abroad. Egypt and other SAF-friendly nations have condemned the formation of this so-called government, while the African Union and a number of other international organizations also criticized or condemned the move.
In his speech, Hemedti praised Kenya for hosting the conference that led to the signing of the charter, describing Kenya as a model democratic state that has “opened its doors to all marginalized and oppressed people.” He expressed gratitude for Kenya’s historical support for Sudanese political groups, referencing the Naivasha peace talks between Al-Bashir’s government and the SPLA led by Southern Sudanese rebel leader John Garang, which led to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005, paving the way for South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
“I would like to congratulate the Sudanese people on what has happened in Kenya. I also extend my gratitude to our brothers—the government and the people of Kenya. Kenya is an open and democratic state, one that hosted the Naivasha peace talks and has played a key role in finding solutions across the region. It remains a refuge for the oppressed. Kenya stands as a model of democracy, and we aspire to reach the level of progress our Kenyan brothers have achieved. We thank them, and history will record their contributions. I also extend my appreciation to the president,” he said.
For its part, the Port Sudan-based military government has condemned Kenya’s alleged support for the establishment of a parallel government and purported plans to partition of Sudan. The government has accused “genocidal militias” and their “regional backers” of leading these efforts—a phrase that typically alludes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Chad, both of which have been documented as supporting the RSF during the course of the war.
At the signing of the alliance’s establishment charter in February, Sudan’s foreign ministry described Kenya’s hosting of the opposition gathering as a “hostile” activity and a “complete violation of the United Nations Charter and the founding principles of the African Union.”
Following the signing of the transitional constitution, the Sudanese foreign government announced a boycott of Kenyan goods, including tea.
Conversion to secularism and praise of SPLM-N
Hemedti criticized the SAF, accusing it of being “nothing but a torch” for corruption and theft since independence. He dismissed the army’s role in national defense, claiming that hundreds of thousands of companies tied to Sudan’s long-time Islamist rulers have exploited the army’s name for profit.
He further accused the SAF of complicity in terrorism, warning that Sudan would not become a haven for extremist groups under the new alliance. He called on the Sudanese to unite, claiming that 70-80% of the SAF’s aircraft had been destroyed and promising that Sudan would soon be free from “these gangs.” He emphasized that the RSF’s new political and military alliances mark a turning point in the conflict, vowing to fight from all sides and ensure victory.
The RSF leader, who participated in the 2003 Darfur genocide under the Islamist regime of Omar al-Bashir as part of the Janjaweed militia – later rebranded as the RSF in 2017 – condemned the participation of jihadists and Islamist brigades alongside the SAF in the war. He stated that the “new constitution” addresses issues ignored since Sudan’s independence, particularly regarding secularism and imposition of Islamic Sharia.
Hemedti admitted his role in Sudan’s Islamist wars but claimed the RSF had been “misled” about secularism. He now considers the RSF an ally of the secular SPLM-N rebel movement under Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, boasting that the RSF enjoys the “largest political and military alliance” and promising a new phase for his forces.
“I congratulate the Sudanese people on the signing of the new charter or constitution—an issue that has remained unresolved since independence. We have been misled for decades under the guise of secularism, but today, we welcome all our partners in this alliance, whether military or civilian, including our brother Abdelaziz Adam Al Hilu. We say to them: You are welcome. We are pleased to have united, despite the barriers that past regimes have built between us—walls and mountains in the name of Sharia. These divisions led to the separation of South Sudan, but in reality, we are one people in two countries,” he said.
Criticism of Darfuri leaders allied with SAF
The RSF leader also issued a warning to former Darfur rebel groups now fighting alongside the SAF, including the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), led by Darfur governor Minni Minnawi and Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, respectively. He vowed to crush them if they set foot in Darfur, where these groups are already fighting alongside the army and control parts of rural north Darfur, especially the borders with Libya and Chad.
At the start of the war, Jibril and Minnawi were neutral. However, in late 2023, they renounced neutrality, declared war on the RSF, and officially joined military operations against the RSF in April 2024. Their involvement bolstered the SAF’s manpower and opened new fronts in Darfur, and helped to drive the RSF out of eastern and southeastern Sudan, reversing RSF gains made in late 2023 to mid 2024.
Hemedti challenged the former Darfur rebels, inviting them to attack him. He described Minnawi as “a liar,” Jibril as a “thief” who has looted public funds, and Yassir Al-Atta, the assistant commander-in-chief of SAF and a member of the transitional sovereign council, as a “drunkard” who “insults without knowing what he says.”
“We are closely monitoring the movements of armed groups toward Darfur and are waiting to defeat them. We will certainly triumph, and we promise the Sudanese people that this will be the last war,” he said.
These combative speech made no mention of peace talks. Currently there are no ongoing negotiations, nor any active public mediation effort by any country or international organization, notwithstanding prior efforts by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
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