Sudanese leader walks out of Mbeki peace dialogue

The Sudanese conflict took a twist yesterday as the Transitional Sovereign Council (TSC) Deputy Chairman, Malik Agar, stormed out of the inaugural Africa Peace and Security Dialogue, an event hosted by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation earlier this morning to protest the arrival of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the event holding at Magaliesburg, South Africa.

Agar was initially scheduled to speak today, Sunday. But offended by the presence of the representatives of RSF, he was said to have flown back home in the morning.

Independent sources said he left a mediation private session hosted by the former South African President, Thabo Mbeki.

In a statement, the TSC said its delegation immediately left the APSD after the arrival of the RSF delegation.

The junta led by Gen. Abdal Fattah Al-Burhan described the invitation of the paramilitary group as a “grave insult” to the Sudanese people suffering from the devastating war.

Agar reportedly informed the conference organisers before leaving for Port Sudan that welcoming the RSF was an attempt to force the Sudanese to “coexist with the crimes of the criminal militia” and that it was “unacceptable”.

“The invitation of a fascist militia delegation to participate in a conference on peace and security in Africa constitutes a grave insult to what Sudanese are facing by their mercenary criminals,” the statement said.

The conflict between the two Sudanese warring parties has continued to deepen and both sides have not seen eye to eye since the outbreak of an 18-month-long civil war where an estimated 150,000 people have died.

Last month, the Sudanese army rejected proposed talks in Geneva seeking to end the conflict, in protest over the designation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as observers as well as being referred to as representatives of the Sudanese army as supposed to the Government of Sudan.

Its foreign ministry accused some sections of the global community of legitimising RSF through the invitation days.

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At the South Africa dialogue, RSF representatives said the group controls the Sudanese legitimacy with the support of 70 per cent of the population.

Meanwhile, Mbeki has criticised the African Union (AU) for being silent when the continent is experiencing a myriad of challenges.

He said the continental body’s voice is lacking where issues that concern the continent are concerned.

According to him, the next AU Commission chairperson must have a clear vision of how they would strengthen the continental body.

“There is something radically wrong with the AU. Look at the conflict in Sudan. Where is there AU with regard to the resolution of that conflict, nowhere to be seen and put the AU in sound footing,” he said.

Mbeki was among the few leaders that reformed the Organisaton of African Union (OAU) into AU.