The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has admitted recent setbacks as the Sudanese army continues to make advances, particularly in the capital, Khartoum.
In a video message on Friday, Hemedti urged his fighters to remain focused on upcoming objectives rather than dwell on territory lost to the army.
“To all forces on all fronts, do not focus on the areas the army has taken—whether it is the General Command in central Khartoum, the Signal Corps in Bahri, Jili town, or Wad Madani,” he stated.
Army Gains and Intensified Conflict
Despite acknowledging the military’s recent advances, Hemedti insisted that RSF forces were capable of regaining control of Khartoum, as they had done in the past.
His comments followed significant victories by the Sudanese army, which recently broke the RSF siege on its General Command headquarters, regained the Signal Corps, and reclaimed key areas, including most of Bahri and Umm Ruwaba in North Kordofan state.
The ongoing conflict between the army and RSF, which began in April 2023, has resulted in over 20,000 deaths and displaced approximately 14 million people, according to UN and local reports. However, research from US universities suggests the death toll could be as high as 130,000.