War in Sudan will not end until all RSF are 'cleansed': Al-Burhan
3 Min Read
The leader of the SAF stresses that there will be no ceasefire in Sudan until the withdrawal of the paramilitary RSF fighters from areas they control.
-
Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel-Fattah Burhan speaks in Khartoum, Sudan, on December 5, 2022. (AP)
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) will not negotiate a deal with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) until the RSF withdraw their troops and the Jeddah Agreement is implemented, the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan and Commander-in-Chief of the SAF, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, stressed.
Al-Burhan spoke after concluding a visit to Wadi Seidna and Omdurman, where a major part of the war is taking place.
He stressed the army's determination to defeat the Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo-led RSF paramilitary group, refusing negotiations and pledging to "cleanse" all of Sudan of RSF fighters.
"We are continuing in this battle until victory, and I repeat once again that we will not negotiate with an enemy who attacks us and occupies our lands," he stated.
Read more: RSF seize key Sudanese state capital, triggering mass displacement
No negotiations until RSF withdrawal
Furthermore, al-Burhan said that despite ongoing international and regional pressure to resume negotiations with the paramilitary group, that once governed Sudan alongside al-Burhan, the SAF refuse to return to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the time being.
"We will not go to a negotiating table where they (the mediators) want to drag us by our ears," he said, adding that the only condition in which the SAF will negotiate a deal is after the RSF withdraw from areas they control.
Moreover, international parties, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), called for both parties to commit to a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians in al-Fasher.
In regard to the resolution passed by the UNSC, the leader of the SAF said that he rejected a ceasefire in the area, stressing that "there will be no ceasefire before they (RSF) leave."
The speech saw al-Burhan stress on multiple occasions his refusal to return to a status quo that keeps both the SAF and the RSF in a position of power, as he reiterated that "Sudan is not big enough" for both parties to exist. He even suggested that the RSF find an alternative homeland.
Read more: Sudan's army, paramilitary RSF using starvation as weapon: UN experts
Russian Deputy FM meets with Sudanese FM
In a similar context, on Thursday, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, met with the acting Foreign Minister of Sudan, Hussein Awad Ali, in Moscow.
Bogdanov underlined Moscow's commitment to an immediate ceasefire and establishing a national dialogue between the warring parties, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
"The Russian side reaffirmed its principled position in support of an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a sustainable nationwide dialogue to ensure the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of the Republic of Sudan," the statement said.
The parties also discussed and examined other issues related to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, which have recently been improved.
Read more: Sudan to sign multi-faceted deal with Russia that includes naval base
