Watan-The Guardian newspaper revealed that British Foreign Ministry officials are holding secret talks with the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, raising concerns about legitimizing them despite the crimes they commit in the country.
The newspaper stated that reports indicating the British government and the Rapid Support Forces engaging in secret negotiations have sparked warnings that such talks pose a risk of legitimizing the militia, which continues to commit many war crimes, lending it a semblance of legality, and undermining the UK’s moral credibility in the region.
A human rights group described the UK’s desire to negotiate with the Rapid Support Forces as “shocking.”
It is noted that last December, the United States accused the quasi-military force of committing crimes against humanity, citing widescale massacres and rape operations against civilians, many of whom belonged to the Masalit tribe.
The atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces, in addition to reports of their fighters carrying out extrajudicial killings and raping women and children, have undermined the group’s legitimacy among Sudanese.
British officials have not met with Hemeti
However, in response to a request under the UK’s Freedom of Information Act (FoI), it was revealed that senior officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) pushed for talks with the Rapid Support Forces. The latest of these talks between the UK and the Rapid Support Forces took place last month.
The FoI response stated that the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office attempted and succeeded in communicating with representatives of the Rapid Support Forces. The last contact was on Wednesday, March 6, when officials from the FCDO met with representatives from the Rapid Support Forces.
British officials added that they have not met with the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, so far.
Fueling violence
Sharath Srinivasan, Deputy Director of the Governance and Human Rights Center at the University of Cambridge, said that despite understanding the temptation to engage with the Rapid Support Forces, it is a course of action that has only fueled violence in Sudan.
He added that speaking with armed individuals has been part of the perpetuation of violence and authoritarianism in Sudan over the past two decades or so, and he added: “The pragmatism hasn’t gotten us anywhere.”
Srinivasan, an expert in Sudan’s peace process failures, pointed out: “Above all, while (the Rapid Support Forces) commit indescribable levels of violence against ethnic groups, women, and children, at a scale that is extremely horrifying now and has been for the past 20 years, you risk a lot of moral credibility and integrity.”
In contrast, the British Foreign Ministry stated that the talks were an attempt to increase access to humanitarian aid and end fighting against Sudanese armed forces, which have also committed war crimes.