Sudan’s al-Burhan rejects talks, vows to retake all territory from RSF

Video Duration 02 minutes 23 seconds 02: 23. Sudan's army advances in North Kordofan as RSF drone attacks intensify.

Key points

• Al-Burhan created the comments on Tuesday while addressing a gathering in Village 5, located in the northern Sudanese locality of Merowe, according to the Sudan News Agency.
• The RSF has been massing in West Kordofan as Sudan's army advances towards the cities of En Nahud and Al Khuway after gains in neighbouring North Kordofan.
• The US State Department remarked last month that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the RSF, nor their respective leaders "represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan".
• In an official note, the Dar Hamar Emergency Committee accused the RSF of multiple violations against civilians in Abu Ajal village in the southeastern countryside of En Nahud.
• An envoy of US President Donald Trump remarked Sudanese parties must take the lead in negotiations to end the war.

Sudan's military chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has promised to seize "every inch" of territory under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Backing Forces (RSF), rejecting negotiations to end three and a half years of war.

He remarked the "military option" would continue until the RSF was removed from Sudan.

For context, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023 after leaders of the groups fell out over intends to integrate the paramilitary force into Sudan's army. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of individuals and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.

Al-Burhan's pledge to continue fighting came as 10 civilians were killed and a number of others were wounded in an attack by the RSF in Sudan's West Kordofan state, according to a local charity group.

Meanwhile, the RSF has been massing in West Kordofan as Sudan's army advances towards the cities of En Nahud and Al Khuway after gains in neighbouring North Kordofan.

In Sudan's Blue Nile state, more than 5, 500 individuals were displaced from villages over three days against the backdrop of deteriorating security, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, an envoy of US President Donald Trump remarked Sudanese parties must take the lead in negotiations to end the war.

In a post on X on Monday, Massad Boulos, the US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, remarked peace could be achieved "through an inclusive Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led national dialogue, transition toward a civilian-led government".

In practice, the US State Department remarked last month that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the RSF, nor their respective leaders "represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan".

Taken together, the developments around sudan's al-Burhan rejects talks, vows to retake all territory from RSF point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.