Ethiopian PM meets Sudan’s ‘Hemedti’ in Addis Ababa

The public appearance of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo during his visit to Uganda and Ethiopia, along with his meetings with the presidents of the two countries, has sparked widespread reactions among the Sudanese. Djibouti has reportedly proposed January 5, 6 or 7 for Hemedti’s face-to-face meeting with his adversary, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, commander-in-chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).

In his first public visit since the start of the war in mid-April, Hemedti met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in the capital, Kampala, on Wednesday. He then continued his tour yesterday to meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.

Following the meeting, the Ethiopian PM shared on X (formerly Twitter) that he discussed “securing peace and stability in Sudan” with Hemedti and his delegation.

Hemedti left the country as he has been invited by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for a face-to-face meeting with El Burhan.

The RSF commander, whose whereabouts were not clear since the war with the Sudanese army started on April 15, was seen disembarking from a Royal Jet airplane – an Emirati airline – in a post shared by the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Ministry to X yesterday. Flight records show that the aeroplane had flown to Uganda’s Entebbe airport from Abu Dhabi on Wednesday morning, Reuters reports.

Notably, in a letter addressed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week, 10 members of the American Congress expressed concern about the military support provided by Abu Dhabi to the RSF.

Despite detailed reports from media agencies about Hemedti’s visits to Uganda and Ethiopia, questions about the authenticity of the visits found resonance online.

Sceptics pointed to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between Dagalo and El Burhan, due to “technical reasons”, as stated in an IGAD letter addressed to the Sudanese government on the matter.

Hemedti is expected to visit Djibouti and Kenya, and meet with representatives of the African Union, IGAD, as well as former PM Abdallah Hamdok, currently chairperson of the Civil Democratic Forces (Tagaddum).

‘Carrots and sticks’

Journalist and political analyst Mohamed El Asbat reported that Hemedti’s appearance in Uganda and Ethiopia has “created confusion in the political scene in Sudan”.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga yesterday, he explained that doubts about Hemedti’s health condition have been discussed widely among Sudanese for months, as the RSF commander did not appear at all on video clips. His speeches were only delivered as audio recordings.  “Many questioned if the RSF commander was still alive,” El Asbat said. “And now again, after the meeting with El Burhan was postponed.”

Regarding the outcome of the meetings, El Asbat believes “it will have positive results, as it allows for direct conversation with Hemedti and enables the leaders of these countries, along with representatives of the USA, the European Union, and the UK in Africa, to exert pressure on him. They can use both sticks and carrots to create a breakthrough in the war and peace process in Sudan”.

El Asbat anticipates that this tour would hasten El Burhan and Hemedti’s presence at the negotiating table, “especially since the countries that Hemedti is visiting are influential and effective, advocate for an end to the war, want to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese and to restore the democratic civil transition”.

As for the timing of Hemedti’s appearance and his ongoing regional tour, El Asbat thinks that he aims to re-present himself on the political stage. “This trip is significant, considering Uganda’s pivotal role in Africa, and Museveni’s influence over the continent’s presidents. Ethiopia, being the capital of Africa and the headquarters of the African Union and the African Peace and Security Council, holds a historically known role on the African continent.”

Reason for postponement

According to journalist Osman Fadlallah, the postponement of the El Burhan-Hemedti meeting, originally planned for December 28, is caused by “the request of a senior American figure suspected of being Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend the meeting”.

According to sources, Djibouti has proposed three dates for the meeting, on January 5, 6 or 7.

Fadlallah stated that he expects the IGAD heads of state to attend along with representatives of the United Nations, the European Union and the Arab League to support Sudan’s efforts to promote stability at the local and regional levels.