Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in Amri that no negotiations were under way with the Rapid Support Forces and that Sudan’s institutions decide on war and peace. He said neither he nor Darfur governor Minni Minawi could act alone. His speech followed a US adviser’s announcement of contact in Egypt, while the army’s war with the paramilitary force continued.
Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said during his October 6 visit to Amri in northern Sudan that no negotiations were taking place with the Rapid Support Forces. He put decisions on war, peace and negotiations with state institutions. The remarks set out the army leader’s position in its war with the paramilitary force.[1], [2]
Burhan named the Security and Defence Council as the body deciding on talks, war and peace. He listed the army, police and other security agencies among the institutions involved. Neither he nor Darfur governor Minni Minawi could take such a decision alone, he said. The Rapid Support Forces have fought the army since April 2023. Burhan described continued fighting in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile as the army’s objective.[1]
A day before the speech, US presidential adviser Massad Boulos announced a meeting with Burhan in Egypt. Boulos said it took place at a lunch hosted by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during an African summit in El Alamein. He stressed US interest in advancing peace and ending the war. Regional and international mediation efforts have not secured a lasting ceasefire since the fighting began on April 15, 2023.[1]
