SUDAN – The commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo, vowed in a new speech to target “any plane or drone” taking off from airports either inside Sudan or from “countries neighboring Sudan”. He announced that his forces would stop the drones targeting RSF-controlled areas, while repeating accusations that the army was “attacking tribal administrations,” describing those strikes as “ethnic cleansing,” and alleging that some parties sought to “exterminate entire tribes.”
The statement came after both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF exchanged accusations over a drone strike that targeted a group of tribal leaders in the Al-Mazroub area of North Kordofan State, killing several chiefs and elders, including the head of the Majaneen tribe, Prince Suleiman Jaber Jumaa Sahl.
In his address, which combined threats with justifications, Hemeti warned that any aircraft or drone taking off from “airports in neighboring countries” would be considered a “legitimate target” for his forces. He pledged that such drones would be “stopped” and urged his followers and “youth” to continue fighting until what he called “the cancer” was eradicated. The speech was broadcast in a video message released late Tuesday, October 22, 2025.
Hemeti hinted that some of the aircraft attacking his forces and delivering supplies to besieged areas were operating from airports in a neighboring country, which he did not name, but he threatened to retaliate against them.
The RSF leader also called for the formation of an international investigation committee to look into what he described as “crimes” committed since “the April coup” until now, and demanded that those responsible for what he termed “ethnic cleansing” be prosecuted.
His speech included messages directed at local authorities in areas under RSF control, urging them to improve public services for citizens and calling on humanitarian organizations to operate in the affected regions.
Hemeti expressed gratitude to “the youth” and encouraged his fighters to remain steadfast, noting that military operations would continue until the Islamic Movement in Sudan, described by him as “the cancer”, is eliminated.
Hours before the RSF commander’s address, drone aircraft targeted Khartoum International Airport, which had been scheduled to resume domestic flights on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
The RSF has relied heavily on drones to attack areas under army control and relatively safe cities far from the frontlines, particularly after its expulsion from the capital, Khartoum, and the shift of battles to the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
Hemeti’s remarks come at a time when his forces are facing major setbacks after two years of fighting, during which the SAF managed to drive them out of the capital and all central regions.
In recent months, both sides have traded accusations of carrying out attacks against civilians and committing widespread abuses. At the same time, regional and international mediation efforts have failed to stop the fighting or achieve a political settlement.
