The Head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, declared on Thursday that there can be no reconciliation with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“We are forging ahead with the battle for dignity to defeat this rebellion. We will not betray the sacrifices of our sons and brothers, who gave their lives in defending their country,” he said during a visit to the Naqa and Musawwarat region in the Nile River state on the occasion of the 71st Army Day.
He hailed the Sudanese people who have stood by the armed forces, especially in the regions of El-Fasher, Babanusa, and Kadugli, as well as all the forces that are defending and protecting the people.
On the same occasion, Prime Minister Kamil Idris said the armed forces have made several sacrifices in defending Sudan’s sovereignty.
“The country is waging a fateful war” against the RSF to preserve its unity and independence, he stressed.
The country is facing a fierce attack that is threatening the state, which demands internal unity and solidarity with the armed forces, he went on to say.
Meanwhile, reactions continued to pour in over the United Nations Security Council’s strong rejection of the establishment of a parallel government in areas held by the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The Foreign Ministry welcomed the statement, saying the Sudanese government remains committed to preserving the sovereignty, safety, security, stability, and unity of the country.
It said it was ready to work with the international community in line with rules and norms that serve the interests of the people.
The Security Council on Wednesday rejected plans by the RSF to establish a rival government in areas it controls, warning that the move threatens the country’s territorial integrity and risks further exacerbating the ongoing civil war.
The strongly worded statement “unequivocally reaffirmed” its unwavering commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, independence, and unity.
Any steps to undermine these principles “threaten not only the future of Sudan but also the peace and stability of the broader region,” the statement said.
The 15-member council said the announcement by the RSF also risks “fragmenting the country and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.”
Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including western Darfur.
Some 40,000 people have been killed, nearly 13 million displaced, and many pushed to the brink of famine, UN agencies say.
The RSF and its allies announced in late June that they had formed a parallel government in areas the group controls, mainly in the vast Darfur region, where allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity are being investigated.
(Asharq Al-Awsat)
