Nairobi, August 29 (Darfur24)
Sources revealed on Saturday that tensions have escalated between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Saudi Arabia following remarks by Riyadh’s representative to the United Nations accusing the force of continuing to commit human rights violations and attacks against civilians in Sudan.
Sources told Darfur24 that RSF personnel serving as part of the Arab coalition in Saudi Arabia had withdrawn from some forward positions facing the Yemeni border and regrouped inside their camps while awaiting further instructions from their leadership.
The sources said the move followed a speech by Saudi Arabia’s representative to the United Nations, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, before the Security Council, in which he criticized the RSF and accused it of continuing human rights violations and attacks against civilians.
They said the RSF leadership expressed dissatisfaction with the Saudi representative’s remarks and informed the Saudi authorities of its rejection of the statements. According to the sources, there is also growing support within the force for withdrawing RSF personnel from the Arab coalition and Saudi territory.
The sources said the RSF leadership had demanded an official apology over the remarks, although it was unclear whether Saudi authorities had responded.
They estimated that more than 5,000 RSF personnel remain deployed with the Arab coalition in Saudi Arabia, where the force has maintained a presence for more than three years.
The sources did not rule out a possible link between the visit of RSF commander and head of the Presidential Council of the Sudan Founding Alliance, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, to Ethiopia and discussions over security arrangements for transferring RSF personnel from Saudi Arabia through neighbouring countries to areas under RSF control in Darfur and Kordofan.
Darfur24 could not independently verify the reported withdrawal, the number of RSF personnel in Saudi Arabia, or the alleged discussions regarding their possible transfer.