Amid ongoing regional efforts to broker a ceasefire in Sudan, the heads of the country’s warring military factions, Army Chief Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), have pledged to escalate fighting against each other. The remarks were made on the occasion of Sudan’s 68th independence anniversary.
Gen. Hemedti declared a commitment to pursue the army, referring to them as “putschists,” vowing to “end this war in favour of our people soon and establish a state founded on principles of equal citizenship without discrimination.” He asserted the RSF’s victories in various regions, including Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, and Gezira states, while pledging to protect civilians in the central state of Gezira, seized by the RSF in December last year. He promised that those responsible for human rights violations would face justice.
In response, Gen. Burhan asserted that the regular armed forces would be victorious and liberate Sudan from “traitors and mercenaries.” He dismissed the possibility of a peace deal with the RSF unless the paramilitary group vacates urban areas seized in April 2023.
Despite their recent expressions of readiness for face-to-face talks this month, the generals’ bellicose statements raise concerns about the prospects for a peaceful resolution. Gen. Burhan criticised the leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Uganda for meeting with Gen. Hemedti last month, accusing them of interfering in Sudan’s affairs.
The conflict in Sudan, ongoing since April last year, has resulted in significant casualties and displacement, with at least 12,000 people killed and an estimated six million others displaced, according to the United Nations.