Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo discussed efforts to end Sudan’s war and a proposed prisoner exchange during a telephone call with UN envoy Pekka Haavisto, according to a spokesperson for the TASIS alliance.
Ahmed Tugod Lisan told Radio Dabanga that the talks covered international mediation, political dialogue, prisoners and humanitarian conditions in South Kordofan.
Dagalo and UN envoy discuss Sudan peace efforts
According to Tugod, Dagalo urged the five-party mediation mechanism to remain within its mandate and raised concerns over international support for a political dialogue proposed by Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
TASIS has opposed the initiative and criticised the African Union Commission’s response to it, arguing that the process favours the authorities in Khartoum.
Tugod said Haavisto explained that the mediation mechanism was seeking to assess developments and communicate with Sudan’s different parties rather than endorse an initiative presented by either side.
The discussion came as Haavisto visited Khartoum amid renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at ending Sudan’s conflict.
Prisoner exchange discussed
The two also discussed a UN-backed proposal concerning the exchange of prisoners.
According to Tugod, Dagalo said TASIS wanted official lists identifying prisoners held by the Sudanese Armed Forces before moving forward with the proposal.
He also pointed to previous prisoner releases carried out by the RSF through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The Sudan Times could not independently verify the details of the proposed exchange described by Tugod.
Humanitarian situation in South Kordofan
The humanitarian situation in Heiban, South Kordofan, was also raised during the call.
Tugod said Haavisto welcomed an initiative attributed to Dagalo aimed at addressing conditions there. Further details about the initiative and its implementation were not provided.
Sudan’s war has created a severe humanitarian crisis and displaced millions of people, while international efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire and political settlement have repeatedly struggled to make progress.
Debate over political dialogue continues
The proposed political dialogue remains contested among Sudanese political groups.
Political analyst and journalist Suhaib Hamed has argued that the initiative should be supported as a Sudanese-led process.
TASIS, meanwhile, has rejected international endorsement of the Burhan-backed initiative and called for mediation efforts to remain impartial.
The competing positions highlight continuing disagreements over what political process could provide a path towards ending Sudan’s war.