This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
Published on June 29, 2019, Sudanese General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo warned against vandalism ahead of a planned mass protest in Khartoum, while insisting the ruling generals will hand power to a civilian administration.
The deputy head of the ruling military council, General Dagalo, made the warning as the country's umbrella protest movement called for a "million-man" march in Khartoum on Sunday against the generals who have seized power since ousting longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on April 11.
General Dagalo commands the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been heavily deployed in Khartoum since a deadly crackdown on a protest camp on June 3 left dozens dead and hundreds wounded.
He justified the heavy presence of security forces in the capital, stating, "The military forces who are deployed in Khartoum are there for the security of the people, not to disturb them."
However, the military council said the protest movement would be held responsible for any violence on Sunday, stating, "The country is going through a serious crisis, and we will hold the Alliance for Freedom and Change entirely responsible if any soul is lost in the march" on Sunday.
On Saturday, General Dagalo insisted the generals had no intention of holding on to power, stating, "The military council is just a guarantor," and "We are saying we want a civilian government, a government of competences, of independents. This is not political talk...This is true."
