Exclusive Darfur24
Last week, news spread of the disappearance of one of the most important generals of the Sudanese army during the era of ousted President Omar al-Bashir and his right-hand man in his war against the armed movements in Darfur since 2003, Major General Ahmed Abdul Rahim Shukrat.
When the rebellion movements emerged in Darfur in the year 2003 and the circle of their battles with the rescue regime expanded in a way that the Sudanese army was not used to, a lieutenant colonel in the armed forces called “Ahmed Abdel Rahim Shukrat Allah” arrived in the city of El Geneina, the capital of the state of West Darfur, and met with the leaders of some tribes, and announced mobilization for the People’s Defense Mujahideen, and the opening of recruitment camps for forces he called the “Border Guard,” targeting members of Arab tribes to join their ranks.
These forces became famous and training camps for recruit were opened for them in all three states of Darfur at the time, and they were armed in a way that exceeds the arming of the armed forces.
The members of those forces interpret this abbreviation as “Sudan is our right,” while their opponents interpret it as “halal theft.” The border guards were above the law, and they have a famous saying that they always repeat: “Above God, and below thank God.”
Who is Shurallah?
The origins of Major General Shukrat Allah go back to the White Nile State, and he graduated from the Military College in the 35th batch. When Al-Bashir fell in 2019, he was the commander of the “Damazin” military division. He was appointed governor of the Blue Nile state before he was appointed commander of the Armored Corps, in which he did not spend long time.
In September 2019, he was referred to the pension, in a move that was described at the time as in order to satisfy the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General “Hamidti”, who has no affection for him.
He revealed a close relationship between Shukrat Allah and the leader of one of the Chadian rebel movements, the head of the National Alliance for Change and Democracy, Mohamed Nour. adding that “the Chadian opposition was fighting with us the armed movements.”
In 2016, Shukrat Allah interrupted a training course in Khartoum and returned in disguise to the state of West Darfur and took cover among a group of armed men, forces affiliated with the Border Guards and members of the Chadian opposition, in an attempt to save the Border Guard forces from vanishing.
Why was he subjected to a military trial?
One of the border guards soldiers who worked under the command of Shukrat Allah told Darfur 24 that Shukrat Allah led these forces and fought the rebellion in the areas of “Abu Gamra, Qarji Qirji, and Armen Kul” and in other areas, and indicated that their leader was brave and enterprising.
There were many hypotheses at the time about the purpose of assembling these forces, while the strongest accounts say that these forces reject the decision to merge the Border Guard into the Rapid Support Forces, while another version says that “Shukrat Allah” and with him influential officers, including “Al-Burhan” were seeking to strengthen the Guard forces.
Back to the scene
Three months ago, the name Shukrat Allah began to appear, coinciding with the emergence of disputes between the army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces and his deputy in the Sovereignty Council, “Hamidati.” There were reports of the gathering of military mobilizations of armed militias in the border areas between Sudan and the Central African state, most of whose members are members of the armed forces.
Multiple sources told Darfur 24 that these forces are supervised by Maj. Gen. Shukrat Allah, and he recruits military leaders for them in a selective manner, according to his knowledge of the military elements that fought with him in the past and stood with him during the days of adversity.
Despite the different accounts about the purpose of these military build-ups, opinion trends say that this force supports one of the rebel movements in Central Africa, and finds wide support from a European country that fears the influence of Russia and the “Wagner” security company that has a base in the border areas with Sudan.
Observers believe that Shukrat Allah is distinguished by cunning and a sense of intelligence, so they suggest that his disappearance is for camouflage in order to travel to the border with Central Africa and be present with the military militias that were gathered in those areas, in terms of that there is information monitored by Darfur24 indicating that a committee of security leaders, including foreigners, arrived at the site of militia gathering.
The European-Russian conflict in Africa
Other information indicates that Shukrat Allah is detained by a security agency that is disturbed by the news from the borders of Sudan and Central Africa and the widespread recruitment of certain military and civil leaders, and Shukrat Allah is accused of supervising them.
Sources told Darfur 24 that these forces are supervised by a European country in coordination with security forces in Sudan in order to change the regime in Bangui, which has close ties and economic interests with Russia, which has established a military base on the border with Sudan through its security company “Wagner”, thus becoming the borders of Sudan and central African Reoubli an arena for the extension of the influence struggle between the countries of the European Union and America on the one hand, and Russia on the other hand.