KHARTOUM — Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, has expressed opposition to any attempt to alter Ethiopia’s constitutional system through force or armed action.
In a statement attributed to Hemedti, the RSF leader said his organization “categorically rejects” efforts to change Ethiopia’s constitutional order through military or armed means, particularly actions allegedly supported by forces he described as opposed to Ethiopia’s development, stability and sustained economic growth.
“We fully reject any attempt to change Ethiopia’s constitutional order by force or armed action,” Hemedti said.
He also expressed support for the Ethiopian people, the Ethiopian government and the country’s constitutional institutions, describing them as representatives of Ethiopia’s legal and constitutional legitimacy.
“We also fully stand with the brotherly people of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government and all constitutional institutions representing the legitimacy of the country,” he said.
Statement Comes Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Hemedti’s comments come at a sensitive time for the Horn of Africa, where political and security tensions have increased in recent months.
Ethiopia has faced multiple internal security challenges, including conflicts involving armed groups in several regions, while tensions with neighboring Eritrea have also attracted growing regional attention.
Hemedti’s statement is notable because the RSF itself has been at the center of Sudan’s devastating conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which erupted in April 2023. The war has created one of the region’s largest humanitarian crises and has drawn competing regional and international diplomatic efforts.
By publicly backing Ethiopia’s constitutional institutions, Hemedti appears to be positioning the RSF as supportive of Ethiopia’s existing political order and opposed to armed attempts to alter it.
However, his statement represents the position of the RSF leadership and should not be interpreted as evidence of a formal agreement between Sudan and Ethiopia unless confirmed through official government channels.
Ethiopia’s Regional Importance
Ethiopia is one of Africa’s most influential countries and plays a central role in the political and security affairs of the Horn of Africa. Developments inside the country have implications for neighboring Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan.
Any escalation involving armed groups or constitutional challenges in Ethiopia could therefore have consequences beyond the country’s borders, particularly given existing disputes over security, trade, borders and access to the Red Sea.
Hemedti’s latest remarks signal the RSF leadership’s stated opposition to violent attempts to change Ethiopia’s political system and its declared support for Ethiopia’s government and constitutional institutions.
