The commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, has urged the leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) not to consider Sudan’s withdrawal from IGAD, as announced by the commander-in-chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Abdelfattah El Burhan.

In a letter addressed to IGAD Chairperson Ismail Guelleh on Monday, Hemedti expressed regret over the SAF commander’s boycott of the IGAD 42nd Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of States and Governments, calling the “unfortunate” decision a “flagrant violation of the IGAD Summit resolutions” that does not “reap any tactical or strategic benefits”.

“The seriousness of General Burhan and his faction is yet to be fully comprehended by all Sudanese stakeholders.”

Hemedti criticised the “hurried and petulant announcement” by El Burhan to withdraw Sudan from IGAD, underlining that it does not represent the legitimate position of the Sudanese government nor its people.

Such decisions, he added, “cannot be made at the whim of a frustrated factional leader,” adding that El Burhan “lacks the requisite legitimacy and mandate to speak and act on behalf of the people and Government of Sudan”.

The RSF Commander emphasised that his participation in the IGAD 42nd Summit came out of “full respect for the numerous IGAD Summit resolutions” and the “IGAD conflict resolution consultative mechanism”.

“Sudan remains a bona fide member of IGAD,” Hemedti asserts, adding that El Burhan’s announcement “should be treated with the contempt it very well deserves”.