Darfur Governor clarifies controversial remarks after backlash from South Sudan

JUBA – Sudan’s Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi has clarified his remarks that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have “finished off” South Sudanese fighters and that Juba was “left with nothing but hired soldiers.”

Last week, Minnawi posted a controversial statement on X (formerly Twitter), which many South Sudanese described as “provocative” and “unrealistic.”

“I call on our brothers in South Sudan, our right rib, to realize that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have finished off their fighters and are now left with nothing but hired soldiers—and those fighting are the southerners,” Minnawi wrote.

He went on to claim that the fall of Al-Fasher would signify the fall of South Sudan.

Facing mounting criticism, the Darfur governor’s office issued a statement on Sunday seeking to clarify Minnawi’s comments.

“Some media outlets and social media platforms circulated a partial and distorted statement by Commander Minni Arko Minnawi, falsely suggesting that he accused the Government of the Republic of South Sudan of participating in the siege of El Fasher,” the statement said.

The clarification stressed that Minnawi did not accuse President Salva Kiir’s administration or any official South Sudanese institution of supporting the RSF, but was instead referring to “southern militias” fighting alongside the paramilitary group.

“The tweet was clear. The Commander referred to groups from the armed southern opposition who, unfortunately, participated in the fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces militia,” Minnawi’s office explained, calling the interpretation of his post as anti-South Sudanese “misleading.”

According to the statement, this information is “a well-documented fact on the ground” and should not be misconstrued as an accusation against the South Sudanese government or its people.

Minnawi reiterated his commitment to maintaining strong relations between Sudan and South Sudan, describing the two nations as “bound by shared history, mutual respect, and a long struggle for freedom.”

His office condemned what it termed “attempts to sow discord between the two brotherly peoples,” saying such efforts would fail to undermine their historical and social ties.

“This statement represents a sincere call to our brothers in the south to be aware of the plans being plotted by the RSF militia. It is not an accusation against the government or the southern people, whom we hold in our hearts with utmost appreciation and respect,” the clarification added.

The Darfur Regional Government reaffirmed its “complete commitment to fraternal cooperation and coordination” between Khartoum and Juba on issues of mutual concern.

“Darfur and South Sudan have always remained a single human space where cultures, interests, and families intersect,” Minnawi’s office said, emphasizing that relations between the two peoples “will not be shaken by rumors or artificial sedition.”