Sudanese military has announced it is planning to form a joint force to keep a tab on growing insecurity in the country amid the ongoing transitional period and assert the state’s authority in the capital and nationwide, reported Aljazeera.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of Sudan’s ruling sovereign council, made the announcement through an order published late on Thursday.
According to the order, the new force will include Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) along with the police, military, General Intelligence Service and representatives of Sudanese rebel groups, and the public prosecutor. The new force announced on Thursday would be formed immediately, under the leadership of sovereign council member General Yasser al-Atta.
Dagalo also ordered the signatory rebel groups to get their members under control and designate gathering places. Many rebel troops had moved their base towards Khartoum as their leaders joined the government following the signing of the agreement.
Earlier this week, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok defended reforms meant to tackle a deep economic crisis and stabilize a political transition towards elections. He said that there was a danger of chaos or civil war instigated by supporters of the previous leadership.
Among the latest reforms announced last week includes the removal of fuel subsidies. The removal of fuel subsidies has been announced at a time when annual inflation has risen to 379%, causing a public uproar.
Sudanese authorities have warned about gangs and criminal groups which they blame for disturbances in the capital, Khartoum, in recent days. The Darfur region has seen an increase in deadly violent activities, as has the country’s eastern region, since the installation of a military-civilian power-sharing government in mid-2019.
The Sudanese transitional government and the main rebel groups signed a peace agreement late last year that called for the integration of rebel groups into a unified national army, which is yet to begin.
