Sudan rejects offers to have East Africa Force deployed to the country

KHARTOUM, Sudan - The ruling military generals in Sudan have rejected offers to have the East Africa Force deployed to the country following waves of coups and instability, blaming one of the peace facilitators for supporting mercenaries to destabilize the government, which has struggled to settle for months.

In a statement, a top Sudanese Armed Forces member, Lt General Yasir Alatta, who also serves as the deputy Commander-ib-Chief of Sudan Armed Forces, made the explosive claims while inspecting the Corps of Engineers, a special operations unit set to fight Rapid Support Force.

General Alatta maintained that the country was not ready to receive foreign troops. There has been pressure from facilitators of the peace initiatives, who insist that the East African force will majorly protect aid workers and civilians who are persistently targeted in the fights.

Challenging Ruto, who heads the IGAD quartet group tasked with the resolution of the crisis, the Sudanese general invited him to bring his own army along with the troops from the country that supports him financially [without specifying the country in question], Sudan Tribune reports.

“The state that supports you and the mercenaries like you with money […], must also bring its army,” General Alatta stated.

Previously, the military regime has openly accused President William Ruto of having close business ties with paramilitary leaders who are hell-bent on undermining the current administration. The Sudanese military rulers have also accused an unnamed Gulf country of supporting the RSF, while investigation reports have pointed to the UAE’s backing of Sudanese militiamen.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have been piling pressure to have the factions end the war, which has paralyzed businesses and even forced thousands of foreign nationals and diplomats to flee from the country. Hundreds of people have been killed in the conflict.

General Alatta emphasized that the army’s ultimate goal was to preserve a united Sudan “free from the Janjaweed menace.”

“We, as soldiers, do not aspire to govern; rather, the political forces have to reach an agreement and govern the country, but we tell them that Sudan is not a game for every unscrupulous politician, profiteer, and mercenary,” he stressed.

The war has entered its 100th day, and the army has deployed infantry forces in Khartoum to launch ground operations against the RSF militiamen. Additionally, the military has established training camps for volunteers in northern, eastern, and central Sudan states, Sudan Tribune adds.

Dr. Ruto took over the presidency in September 2022 from his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta and has been pushing for peace initiatives in the Horn of Africa. Sudan has been unstable since the exit of Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in a civilian-engineered revolution that would later be hijacked by the military.

GAROWE ONLINE