As the cease-fire in Sudan was extended another 72 hours last Thursday night, fighting between the forces of the de facto president, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Russia-backed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of warlord Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — better known as Hemeti — nevertheless continued in the capital city of Khartoum and other parts of the third-largest country in Africa.
Hemeti, who was in Russia on the eve of the Ukraine invasion last year and met with Vladimir Putin, has close ties with the notorious mercenary Wagner Group. But the White House will not say whether it would recognize Hemeti if he emerges triumphant in what is shaping up to be a civil war.
Asked by Newsmax last Thursday about the possibility of recognizing Hemeti if his forces topple the al-Burhan government, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied: "I'm just not going to get ahead or speak to hypotheticals."
"So look, we've been very clear about our concerns and how we want this to continue — to see the cease-fire occur," she told Newsmax. "As you know, it was set for 72 hours on April 24. We've been very clear on how we think we should move forward."
Hemeti has long insisted he has broken ties with the Wagner Group, but, according to the Financial Times, "analysts fear the Russian mercenaries could offer ammunition and support from their bases in Libya and the Central African Republic."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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