Sudanese Sovereign Council deputy chairman Malik Agar boycotted a peace forum in South Africa on Saturday in protest of the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) participation. Agar, who was set to present a paper on Sudan’s ongoing conflict, left the African Peace and Security Forum in Johannesburg after an RSF delegation arrived, his office confirmed in a statement.
“Trying to force the Sudanese to coexist with the militia is unacceptable,” the statement read, criticizing the RSF’s invitation as a “grave disregard” for the suffering endured by the Sudanese people.
The RSF delegation, led by Brigadier General Omer Hamdan and including al-Quni Hamdan Dagalo, the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attended the event. Organized by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, the forum focused on peace and security in Africa and the role of regional and international organizations in promoting stability.
On the sidelines, the RSF delegation met with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, who, according to an RSF statement, reaffirmed his country’s support for peace efforts in Sudan.
