Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, has walked out of a peace forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, in protest of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attending the event. Agar had been slated to deliver a presentation concerning the situation in Sudan but chose to leave when he saw an RSF delegation arrive.
In an official statement, Agar’s office described the RSF’s invitation as a “serious oversight” that undermines the suffering endured by the Sudanese populace. “It is unacceptable to impose coexistence with a militia on the Sudanese people,” the statement emphasized.
The RSF delegation, led by Brigadier General Omer Hamdan and including al-Quni Hamdan Dagalo, the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attended the forum organized by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation. The discussions at the forum focused on the current challenges of peace and security in Africa and the influence of both regional and international entities in fostering stability.
Additionally, on the forum’s sidelines, the RSF representatives engaged in discussions with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, who reportedly conveyed his country’s commitment to supporting peace initiatives in Sudan.