Thread by @SudanInTheNews

THREAD:

This is not #Kony2012. This is #Himedti2019.

This is the warlord widely blamed for #SudanMassacre, & arguably the most powerful man in Sudan right now.

Please RT to raise awareness. Make Himedti Go Viral.

#SudanUprising #IAmTheSudanRevolution

Mohammed Hamdan Dagallo, also known as Himedti, is the vice-president of the Sudanese transitional military council, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces militia.

According to Amnesty International, #SudanMassacre is a result of the Rapid Support Forces bringing to Khartoum its history of murders, rapes, looting, and other crimes, from Darfur.

Not only have bodies been dumped in the River Nile, but the RSF have also taunted the streets of Khartoum by displaying the underwears of women they raped.

So, how did we get to this situation?

Why would Himedti order this?

This thread is split into 5 parts and give details on:

1. Himedti’s background
2. The Janjaweed era
3. Rapid Support Forces era
4. Turning on Omar Al Bashir
5. Build up to #SudanMassacre
6. #SudanMassacre

1. BACKGROUND:

Himedti was born to Chadian Arab parents.

Not educated beyond the third grade, he initially made his living as a camel trader.

Despite this, he is described as “extremely street smart”

2. JANJAWEED ERA:

Himedti’s track record of human rights abuses started in 2003.

He mobilised men to fight for the Janjaweed, a paramilitary force that was hired to crush the Darfur rebellion by former president Omar Al Bashir.

During this period, we can understand why the Telegraph describes Himedti’s brutality as “combining ruthless mercenary opportunism with an uncanny ability to sense where military winds are blowing.”

A former Sudanese spy said that Himedti only joined the Janjaweed to get rich.

He was not always loyal to the government. He led raids on their caravans, to get rich by selling fuel.

Himedti also demonstrated that he is fearless and does not understand moral authority.

Even fellow Janjaweed members jointly complicit in war-crimes complained that he was beyond ruthless.

When government spies interrogated him and beat him up, he simply swore at them.

Himedti continued to use violence to get his way.

He blackmailed Omar Al Bashir’s regime into providing his men with better treatment, by briefly rebelling against government forces.

Ever the opportunist, however, Himedti remained loyal to Al Bashir when most Janjaweed leaders rebelled.

It was this decision that started the process of Himedti becoming the most powerful, and possibly brutal, man in Sudan.

3. RSF ERA:

Omar Al Bashir appointed Himedti as the commander of the Rapid Support Forces in 2014.

The RSF did not simply take-over the Janjaweed’s mantle in suppressing the Darfur rebellion. Its remit was far wider.

To start with, while the Janjaweed was under the command of NISS (the Sudanese spy agency), the RSF was under the direct control of Omar Al Bashir.

Al Bashir was keen to bolster this militia to protect himself against a coup.

For him, a well-funded RSF under his command would protect him if NISS or the regular Sudanese army decided to overthrow him.

Al Bashir’s trust for Himedti was so strong that he gave him a rhyming nickname: Himayti.

In Arabic this means “my protection.”

Via the RSF, Himedti began to make powerful allies in Europe.

The RSF took payments from EU states to patrol Sudan’s Libyan border, to round up Ethiopians and Eritreans attempting to migrate to Europe.

It has been reported that migrants have been kidnapped and held for ransom, tortured and murdered, as the RSF exported its violence outside Darfur.

As the RSF took its violence to central Sudan, Himedti also got wealthier, gaining control of gold mines.

The RSF then took its rampage to Yemen, allegedly using child soldiers, as part of the Saudi-led coaltion.

Yemen was the turning point.

Himedti could now present himself to Saudi Arabia and the UAE not only as an ally, but also a potential successor to Al Bashir

4. TURNING ON AL BASHIR:

When the #SudanUprising protests began in Dec 2018, Himedti was one of the first high-profile military figures to publically speak in favour of the protesters.

During this period, his PR campaign began...

After the peaceful sit-in outside Sudan’s military HQ began on April 6, it became clear that Al Bashir’s days were numbered.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE & Egypt would no longer support him, so the military got rid.

Himedti said the military got rid of Al Bashir because he ordered them to commit a massacre to disperse the sit-in.

A transitional military council was put in place - combined of the regular Sudanese army, NISS and the RSF.

Himedti was appointed vice-president.

Himedti is widely believed to be the shot-caller in the military council.

All resignations from the council have been attributed to power disputes with him, and protest leaders say that he is the leading military representative in negotiations about Sudan’s future.

Himedti has declared his support for democracy, that he is not greedy for power, and that he wants elections to be held in 3-6 months.

Despite the PR campaign, Himedti is generally distrusted by protesters - and not just for the crimes all over Sudan and Yemen.

So, how did we reach the #SudanMassacre?

...

5. BUILD UP TO #SUDANMASSACRE

Sudanese protest leaders negotiated with the military on a roadmap to democratic civilian government.

The protest leaders want a civilian-managed transition, and the protesters peacefully showed their support by continuing the sit-in.

The protest leaders wanted a 2-4 year transitional period ahead of elections.

Why? They fear a pre-mature election would result in a sham election, whereby the elected civlian would be a puppet of Himedti and the military.

Moreover, after 30 years of dictatorship with no political freedom, if an election was held “today” as Himedti calls for, only those close to Al Bashir’s regime would have the resources to win.

Therefore, when Himedti’s calls for a 3-6 month period ahead of elections, Sudanese protesters suspect that Himedti is not a genuine democrat, or that he is truthful when saying he is “not greedy” for power.

Protest leaders reported that Himedti was getting more impatient and aggressive during the negotiations, as he pressed for a military-led transition and a short time-frame for elections.

Himedti also publicly demonstrated his aggression. In veiled warnings to protesters about the sit-in, he said that the security forces may be forced to “restore order” amid the “chaos” caused by the sit-in.

Towards the end of Ramadan, Himedti went to Saudi Arabia to meet the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

#SudanMassacre shortly followed.

6. #SudanMassacre

Shortly after returning from Saudi, the RSF “restored order.”

On June 3, in a pre-planned operation, RSF militias disarmed regular Sudanese soldiers who had been protecting the protesters, and carried out their rampage at the site of the Khartoum sit-in.

Khartoum witnessed, for the first time, the campaign of murder, rape, looting and torture, that Darfur had been subjected to for so long.

Even hospitals and universities were looted and vandalised.

At the time of writing, it has been a week since Khartoum has been under siege.

Around 10,000 heavily-armed RSF troops are roaming neighbourhoods, attacking anybody who leaves their home.

#internet_blackout_in_Sudan has been imposed to prevent the world from seeing what Himedti’s RSF militia are doing.

This is why it is important to raise awareness. Please retweet this thread.

Show the world who Himedti is.

#SudanUprising #IamTheSudanRevolution

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