Two War Generals Speeches: Did They Signal International Military Intervention?
moatinoon
The simultaneous speeches of Sudans war generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have sparked significant reactions among observers and analysts. Both speeches lacked any vision related to resolving the war either militarily or politically through dialogue, inadvertently or intentionally paving the way for international military intervention.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while providing a detailed description of the developments on the ground, seemed to seek to draw international condemnation of the Rapid Support Forces by portraying them as treacherous and rebellious, and by alleging the recruitment of mercenaries to fight in Khartoum. He continued to elude relinquishing power and warned the international community of the danger of the conflict spreading regionally, which threatens international peace and security.
On the other hand, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo insisted on the need to reform the army, accused terrorist organizations of fighting alongside the army, and called for a unified army that represents all Sudanese components as a solution to Sudans crisis.
In their initial response to the speeches of the two men, the Central Council of Freedom and Change expressed disappointment in al-Burhans speech, considering Dagalos statements as more open to a peaceful solution, according to statements conveyed by Al Jazeera to Nasser Abdel Nour, the head of the Umma Party and a leader in the Freedom and Change alliance.
On the international front, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who visited Djibouti yesterday, said, We urge our allies and partners to encourage the warring parties in Sudan to negotiate, echoing similar statements made by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to Al Arabiya.
On April 22nd, just one week after the outbreak of the Khartoum war, the U.S. Department of Defense revealed that it was enhancing its forces in East Africa. Pentagon spokesman Phil Ventura said that the U.S. Africa Command was monitoring the situation in Sudan and devising wise emergency plans as violence escalated between the warring generals in Sudan.
Following this, a U.S. Navy official announced that the United States would send a new warship to Sudan. This new ship joined three others operating off the coast of the Red Sea (Sudanese waters). At the beginning of the war, the Department of Defense stated that the ships were present to assist in any evacuation operations requested by the U.S. Department of State at any time, and the Pentagon announced that U.S. Navy ships would be in Sudan if needed to support the efforts of the State Department.
