Nyala, October 29 (Darfur24)
The Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”, has announced the formation of military and legal committees to investigate alleged violations committed in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
In a recorded speech released on Monday, Hemedti said the committees had already arrived in El Fasher and begun their work, stressing that “any soldier or officer proven to have committed crimes will be held accountable.”
The announcement follows widespread reports of abuses against civilians, including extrajudicial killings, after the RSF seized control of El Fasher on Sunday, according to the UN Human Rights Office.
Hemedti directed that civilians be granted freedom of movement and instructed the Ministry of Interior and legal bodies within the RSF’s founding government to review detainee lists and release civilians held without justification.
He said that landmines and weapons left in parts of El Fasher were obstructing the return of residents, adding that RSF engineering teams were working to clear the area.
“If the task exceeds our capacity, we will seek assistance from organizations to help make the city safe,” he added.
Hemedti also said he had ordered all RSF military forces to withdraw from El Fasher, leaving the city’s security to the police. He called on international humanitarian organizations to deliver urgent aid to residents in El Fasher and the surrounding areas.
“We have turned the page of war in El Fasher, and now the peace phase has begun,” Hemedti said, urging the people of Darfur to help restore the city.
He rejected claims that the capture of El Fasher marked a step toward Sudan’s fragmentation, saying, “The liberation of El Fasher is not a strategic shift in the war but a shift toward the unity of Sudan.”
Hemedti accused what he called “Islamist remnants” of spreading false narratives about division, asserting that “we will not give up an inch of Sudan, nor accept any talk of fragmentation.”