The leader of Sudan’s armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Tuesday rejected the possibility of negotiations with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stating the military would continue its campaign to reclaim all territory controlled by the group. The statement was made during an address in the northern Merowe locality, as reports emerged of civilian deaths and displacement in other regions of the country.
According to the Sudan News Agency, al-Burhan affirmed that the “military option” would proceed until the RSF is removed from all areas it occupies. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF began in April 2023 following disputes over a plan to integrate the two forces.
The ongoing war has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and has displaced approximately 13 million people, according to figures from the United Nations and other international organizations.
Al-Burhan’s remarks coincided with reports from West Kordofan state, where a local aid group said 10 civilians were killed. In a statement, the Dar Hamar Emergency Committee attributed an attack on the village of Abu Ajal to the RSF. The group also accused the RSF of other violations against civilians in the area. These events occurred as Sudanese army units advanced in the neighboring North Kordofan state.
Separately, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday that more than 5,500 people in Sudan’s Blue Nile state were displaced from their villages over a three-day period due to security conditions.
On the diplomatic front, a U.S. official commented on the path to resolving the conflict. Massad Boulos, a U.S. senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, stated in a post on the social media platform X on Monday that a resolution could be achieved “through an inclusive Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led national dialogue, transition toward a civilian-led government.”
Last month, the U.S. State Department issued a statement asserting that neither the SAF nor the RSF, nor their respective leaders, “represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan.”
