In the Media and Away from the Battlefield… Why is Hemedti Hiding?

Sudanhorizon – Azmi Abdul Razzaq

A few days ago, accounts affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, along with some news channels, published a short video—less than a minute long—showing the rebel leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) surrounded by some of his soldiers at the intersection of Republic Street with the palace. This was presented as a new appearance. However, the video did not include any direct speech from Hemedti, and it later became clear that the footage was old, dating back to the beginning of the rebellion in April 2023.

This raised several important questions as to why the RSF wanted to prove that their leader was alive and actively managing the battlefield.

A Ghost in the Electronic Room
The RSF militia is grappling with ongoing doubts about Hemedti’s survival or, at the very least, his ability to move normally and manage the battles. These doubts are not just among their opponents but have also begun to grow within their own ranks, sometimes being suppressed or covered up with lies. This is especially notable since these forces were not used to seeing Dagalo confined to the web and social media accounts; he was always close to them.

Hemedti’s activity on social media and his absence from the field has been striking, to the extent that he has turned into a mere ghost residing in digital spaces. His last tweet welcomed the American invitation to participate in the proposed ceasefire talks in Switzerland on August 14, 2024.
Although this acceptance was expected, the haste with which it was issued, before the ink on the invitation had even dried, was indeed suspicious, suggesting that the militia leader was acting involuntarily or that someone else was controlling his responses.

Cameron Hudson, an American expert on African affairs, mocked Hemedti, saying, “The man’s lies have become evident.” He added that Hemedti’s media company was ready with his response to the American invitation and published it immediately after the invitation was announced. Hudson also stated, “The truth is that Hemedti is politically and morally dead, and these recordings attempting to link him to events are worthless.”

The Missing Truth
Another perspective on testing Hemedti’s existence and his ability to physically communicate with others is offered by journalist Osman Mirghani, who focuses on arranging a direct meeting between the Chairman of the Sovereign Council, General Burhan, and Hemedti face-to-face. We could extract the missing truth from the details of this proposed meeting.
In September 2023, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) proposed a meeting between Burhan and Hemedti at the same table in Djibouti. All eyes were on this meeting amidst speculation about whether the militia leader would appear before Burhan in person. This speculation was heightened by IGAD’s announcement just hours before the anticipated meeting, informing the Sudanese government that Hemedti had apologised for not attending the Djibouti meeting for what it described as technical reasons. They assured Burhan that Hemedti was not ready for the meeting, and Hemedti limited himself to a brief African tour, where he was notably photographed in static poses.

The attempts to show Hemedti through old video clips prompted military affairs expert Omar Arbab to comment that there must be a reason for this appearance or portrayal. He suggested a crisis within the RSF and wrote on Hafiz Kabir’s page, “It seems there is a problem within the forces that requires Hemedti’s appearance in the field, not just proof that he is alive.” Arbab considered this an indication that things within the RSF are veering off course.

Driving the War to Predetermined Outcomes
It has become clear that the purpose of Hemedti’s recordings and recent posts, without focusing on his physical presence and interaction with his supporters, is to drive the war to predetermined outcomes, ignore initial allegations, and maintain his dramatic presence on the stage of events, whatever it takes. Hence, he appears to the Sudanese people in videos and sometimes recordings that do not resemble his real personality or speaking style. However, some believe that the security committee tasked with protecting Hemedti is creating a shroud of secrecy around his life, fearing for his safety due to the massacres committed by his forces, for which he bears criminal responsibility.

Alternatively, they worry that his usual spontaneity might reveal the secrets of the war they are concealing. As a result, he is transported like a “robot” in an Emirati plane between Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi, capitals that support the militia. However, some leaks also mention that he is undergoing long and intensive treatment for varying injuries sustained in the early days of the war, rendering him nearly incapable of living a normal life or suffering from a terminal illness.

Suppressed Conflicts
Additionally, there are suppressed conflicts within the RSF ranks due to Hemedti’s absence, as he was skilled in dealing with them. This has created a state of strife among the rebellion’s supporters, particularly those controlling military operations and issuing instructions. This was evident in the recent altercation between Jalha on one side, advisors Imran Abdullah and Al-Jawfany on the other, and between mercenaries and the remaining old elements of the RSF.
Furthermore, the way former advisor Yousef Ezzat was removed from his position amid this intense conflict is noteworthy.
Ezzat mentioned in a post on the X platform that he requested his dismissal after restructuring the RSF’s civil and political work, transferring its management to Abdul Rahim Dagalo, and other reasons he promised to disclose later. Ezzat revealed intriguing information about a secret restructuring within the RSF since last April, following a workshop held in Uganda, transferring civil and political work management under the name of the Civil Coordination Council for the RSF. These developments indicate that Abdul Rahim has become the top figure in the RSF despite being a contentious and volatile character, as evidenced by his alleged threats to Ezzat over the phone and the emergence of advisors representing new political orientations for the militia.

Artificially Directing the War
Several reasons have led Sudanese people to suspect that the person speaking in those recordings and occasionally appearing in videos is not Hemedti in his old version, at least. They believe someone is manipulating him, compiling clips and photos through artificial intelligence programs to ensure the war continues and provide the RSF with the necessary morale.
Convincing soldiers that their leader is dead would lead to a psychological collapse and cause them to stop fighting, deeming it pointless. Therefore, they always dedicate their “victories” to Hemedti, try to maintain his morale, and believe in everything issued in his name. This drives the parties managing the war behind the scenes to maintain the belief that Hemedti is alive and leading the battles himself, even if he does not appear in the field or in live television interviews, nor walks the streets of Khartoum, which he claims to control.

Manipulating People’s Minds
After about a year and a half of war, many people have come to believe in conspiracy theories and feel they are dealing with ambiguous realities. They believe that what is being presented needs to be re-examined and re-read, especially since the lack of a central leadership reinforces Hemedti’s absence. This is likely the reason for the rampant indiscipline among the RSF and the failure of the operations unit to control them to the extent that they have tarnished their external relations. Additionally, the deaths of prominent field leaders like Ali Yaqub, Shereya, and Al-Bishi, and the continuous surrenders in Shendi contribute to this situation. However, the controlling entity behind the RSF appears indifferent to Hemedti’s fate. Their primary concern is converting military “victories” into practical gains, achieving their objectives directly. This means the rebel leader is nothing more than a pawn or a symbol of a central leadership controlled behind the scenes.