THE deputy head of Sudan’s ruling council, Gen Mohamed Dagalo has described the overthrow of a civilian government in his country two years ago a ‘‘mistake.’’
He said in a television interview that the coup had politically benefited supporters of former long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir.
Gen Dagalo, widely known as “Hemeti” said: “Regrettably, it [the coup] has become a gateway for the return of the former regime.”
He warned that allies of the detained former leader Bashir, who ruled the country for close to three decades, were regaining their political foothold.
He was referring to supporters of the former ruling National Congress party in the army and those appointed in government after the coup.
His comments follow growing tension between his paramilitary unit called Rapid Support Forces – RSF, and the army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the country’s de facto leader.
Gen al-Burhan warned last week that he would not tolerate the RSF operating as an independent force and should instead be merged into the army.
In his speech Gen Dagalo said he “will not allow remnants of the defunct regime to drive a wedge between” the RSF and the regular army, but he did not elaborate.
For a man who has in recent years not been shy to express his political ambitions, his recent comments could be seen as a deliberate attempt to break with the army and ally with some civilian groups.