Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni (R) meets with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) military chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (L) in Entebbe . AFP
In a statement issued Sunday, the ministry denounced the meeting between Dagalo and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, saying the decision was “an unprecedented step that shows contempt for the lives of innocent citizens killed in this war as a result of Hemeti and his militia’s conduct since the outbreak of the conflict.”
“The atrocities committed by the militia have been documented by the international community and condemned by regional organizations of which Uganda is a member, such as the African Union and IGAD,” the statement added.
Khartoum further asserted that the step taken by Uganda does not respect human reason, nor does it take into account the psychological harm suffered by Sudanese citizens.
"It also disregards the laws governing member states in regional and international organizations not to provide any support to rebel forces against a legitimate system recognized internationally,” it affirmed.
At the same time, the ministry acknowledged that the Government of Sudan recognizes that the Ugandan government has the sovereign right to receive whomever it wishes on its territory and to define its bilateral relations in accordance with what it considers to be its interests.
“From this standpoint, the Government of Sudan expresses its deep concern over this step if it reflects a new policy by the Ugandan government toward Sudan, by sponsoring a rebel who has shed the blood of the Sudanese people, violated their sanctities, and committed all forms of crimes, including genocide, ethnically motivated killings, and other violations that make one’s forehead sweat in shame,” the statement said.
Emphasizing its commitment to bilateral relations and a policy of good neighbourliness and non-interference, Sudan said it hopes “the Ugandan government will distance itself from any association with Hemeti and not allow him to exploit Ugandan territory, land or airspace, to carry out a campaign of genocide.”
On Friday, President Museveni received Dagalo at the presidential palace in Entebbe, marking his first public appearance in months, which drew sharp criticism in Sudan.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s army has been engaged in a war against the RSF, a paramilitary force that evolved from the Janjaweed militia, which previously carried out acts of genocide during the Darfur conflict.
Multiple international reports have accused the RSF of committing atrocities, including mass killings and rape, against civilians during the current war.
On Thursday, the United Nations’ Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan said the siege and capture of El-Fasher by the paramilitary group bore “the hallmarks of genocide.”
The mission said the RSF’s seizure of the Darfur state capital in October inflicted “three days of absolute horror” and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
It further warned that “urgent protection of civilians is needed, now more than ever,” in neighbouring Kordofan state, now the epicentre of fighting since the fall of El-Fasher, which was marked by ethnic massacres, sexual violence, and detentions.
“The scale, coordination, and public endorsement of the operation by senior RSF leadership demonstrate that the crimes committed in and around El-Fasher were not random excesses of war,” said mission chairman Mohamad Chande Othman.
“They formed part of a planned and organized operation that bears the defining characteristics of genocide,” he expressed.
On Thursday, the United States also announced sanctions on three Sudanese paramilitary commanders over their roles in the “horrific campaign” during the siege and capture of El-Fasher.
Short link: