Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leader and Darfur governor Minni Minawi revealed on Friday that he had turned down offers of bribery from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and an undisclosed backer, who attempted to sway him into supporting their side in the country’s conflict.
Minawi stated that one proposal involved sharing control of Darfur’s military divisions with the RSF while maintaining his position as governor, but with expanded authority and increased financial resources.
This revelation came after accusations from RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, who claimed Minawi sided with the Sudanese Armed Forces for personal financial gain.
In a public statement, Minawi emphasized that his recent meeting in N’Djamena with RSF’s deputy commander, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, concluded with his firm rejection of the bribe. He also disclosed that he turned down a separate proposal from an unnamed mediator to back the Framework Agreement, a transitional pact for civilian governance that collapsed, leading to the outbreak of war in April 2023.
Minawi went on to accuse the RSF of committing severe human rights violations in Darfur, including assaults on camps housing displaced people, taking over hospitals in El Fasher, and subjecting civilians to abuse.
The RSF has maintained control over most of Darfur since late 2022, with El Fasher being one of the few remaining areas under central government authority. Intense fighting in the city continues.
In November 2023, Minawi, along with Gibril Ibrahim of the Justice and Equality Movement, a faction from the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces, and a splinter group led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur, chose to side with the Sudanese army.
Insiders from these movements suggest that the decision to end their neutral stance came after realizing the RSF’s grip on the region could permanently alter Darfur’s demographic makeup.