In a remarkable development of the data war between the two sides of the conflict, the Sudanese army announced today (Sunday) that the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hamidti), escaped from his hideout. A statement from the army linked Hemedti's escape to the escape of his guard crew and the soldiers assigned to secure him. A picture was circulated showing Hamidti's "military clothes" in his hiding place after his escape.
The Rapid Support Forces did not issue any statement in response to the Sudanese army's announcement of "Hemedti's escape."
The commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Hamidti, hails from the Rizeigat tribe of Arab origin, which lives in the Darfur region in western Sudan. In his twenties, he worked mainly in the camel trade between Libya, Mali and Chad, and took charge of protecting commercial convoys from bandits in the areas controlled by his tribe.
His control of a number of gold mines in Darfur prompted the ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to bring him closer and grant him great privileges, which raised the number of elements he leads, which is currently estimated at about 100,000.
In 2007, Al-Bashir appointed Hamidti a brigadier general, and his forces became part of the intelligence services in the country. Years later, specifically in 2013, Al-Bashir officially established the Rapid Support Forces, led by Hamidti, and provided them with light weapons and four-wheel drive vehicles, which aroused the ire of officers in the ranks of the Sudanese army.
Despite Al-Bashir's role in supporting Hamidti, the latter sided with the angry demonstrations against his rule and abandoned the former president, according to local Sudanese reports, which confirmed – at the time – that the Rapid Support Forces contributed to the overthrow of Al-Bashir. Hamidti called on the Sudanese government to provide what citizens need for a decent life, a position that was praised by some Sudanese.
In November of 2021, Daglo was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, which ruled Sudan in partnership with the civilian leadership.
Okaz (Khartoum) @okaz_online
