Sudan’s Burhan Rejects Talks and Vows to Retake RSF-Held Areas

Sudan’s military chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has rejected negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces and pledged to recover territory held by the paramilitary group.

Speaking at a gathering in Village 5 in Merowe locality, al-Burhan said the military option would continue until the RSF was removed from Sudan, according to the Sudan News Agency. He also promised to seize “every inch” of territory under the group’s control.

The statement came as the conflict continued to affect civilians in several parts of the country. A local charity group reported that 10 civilians were killed and several others wounded in an RSF attack in West Kordofan state. The number of wounded was not specified, and the report was not independently verified in the source material.

Fighting and civilian accusations

The Dar Hamar Emergency Committee also accused the RSF of committing multiple violations against civilians in Abu Ajal village, in the southeastern countryside of En Nahud. The allegations were made in a statement by the committee and were not independently verified.

The RSF has been massing in West Kordofan as the Sudanese army advances towards En Nahud and Al Khuway. The army’s movements followed gains in neighbouring North Kordofan, according to the source report.

The Sudanese army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023. The conflict began after the leaders of the two forces fell out over plans to integrate the RSF into the national army.

UN and international estimates cited in the report indicate that tens of thousands of people have been killed and around 13 million displaced since the fighting began.

New displacement in Blue Nile

More than 5,500 people were displaced from villages in Blue Nile state over a three-day period, the International Organization for Migration reported on Tuesday. The displacement adds to the wider humanitarian impact of the war, which has forced millions from their homes.

While al-Burhan called for continued military action, Massad Boulos, the US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said peace could be reached “through an inclusive Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led national dialogue, transition toward a civilian-led government.”

Boulos also said Sudanese parties should take the lead in talks aimed at ending the war. The US State Department said last month that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the RSF nor their respective leaders “represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan.”

Al-Burhan’s latest remarks signal that the army leadership remains committed to a military solution, even as reports of civilian casualties and displacement continue across Sudan.