Al-Burhan rejects reconciliation with RSF, vows to continue conflict
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Al-Burhan extended an invitation for dialogue with Sudanese politicians but urged them to distance themselves from the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
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Sudan’s Army Chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan speaks in Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 22, 2023. (AP)
Sudan's military general and de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has rejected the most recent reconciliation attempts with his rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Instead, he has affirmed his commitment to continuing a nine-month-long conflict with the RSF.
"The whole world witnessed these rebel forces (RSF) committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in West Darfur and the rest of Sudan," al-Burhan told troops gathered in Port Sudan in a video released by his office on Friday, referring to the ethnic cleansing in and around the West Darfur city of El Geneina.
"For that reason, we have no reconciliation with them, we have no agreement with them," he added.
He further stressed that the RSF "doesn’t seek the good for the country" and accused it of engaging in the looting of people's properties.
At the same time, he extended an invitation for dialogue with Sudanese politicians, urging them to dissociate themselves from the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Read more: Hemedti's vision out of crisis: 'Establishing the new Sudanese state'
Earlier in the week, Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, agreed to a ceasefire proposed by civilian groups, contingent on the military's concurrence. However, skeptics raised concerns due to the paramilitary force's track record of not fulfilling its commitments.
Last month, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an African trade bloc, successfully facilitated an agreement for Burhan and Dagalo to engage in an in-person meeting.
However, on Friday, Burhan rejected the possibility of such a meeting and proceeded to derogatorily refer to his opponent as a "clown," "traitor," and "coward." Additionally, he adamantly refused to accept the ceasefire agreement that Dagalo had signed in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, earlier this week.
During his visits this week, he criticized African nations, namely South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya for recognizing Dagalo as a statesman. He also expressed disapproval towards Sudanese politicians who had engaged in meetings with him in Ethiopia.
"He is humiliating the Sudanese people, he is killing them, insulting them, and some people are clapping for him and laughing with him," Burhan said.
Both the military and the RSF have faced accusations from the US of committing war crimes.
Since the conflict began on April 15, at least 5,000 people have lost their lives, with over 7.5 million individuals displaced, and substantial regions of Sudan left in devastation.
Despite various truce efforts, including those brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US, none have succeeded in bringing an end to the violence.
Read more: Burhan heads to Djibouti tomorrow to meet Hemedti: Sudan gov. source
