Comment on the photo, Sudanese Army Commander and Head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, delivers a speech before the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters on September 26, 2024.
Last updated 5 hours ago
Head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Army Commander, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said he supports efforts to end the devastating war in his country as long as it puts an end to the “occupation” of territory by rival Rapid Support Forces.
In a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Al-Burhan said that countries in the region provide funding, weapons, and mercenaries to the Rapid Support Forces, without naming a specific country or entity.
In his speech, Al-Burhan called on the United Nations to “classify the rebel militia as a terrorist group,” accusing the Rapid Support Forces of obstructing peace efforts.
He said in his speech, “We must truly describe the rebellion of the Rapid Support Militia as an armed force that rebelled against the state and committed crimes that amount to being classified as a terrorist group, and this is the duty of this organization.”
Al-Burhan indicated the Sudanese government’s readiness “to engage in any initiative to end this war as long as this initiative supports national ownership of the solution and ends the occupation of various regions by rebel militias.”
He stressed that the army-backed government will not accept the participation of any country that supports the Rapid Support Forces in the peace process, and that any such process should include the Rapid Support Forces laying down their weapons and reaching a comprehensive political settlement.
He added: “We continue to defeat and expel these aggressors, regardless of the amount of help and support they find.”
In turn, the commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), confirmed on Thursday his readiness to implement a nationwide ceasefire and facilitate the delivery of aid.
Dagalo stated in a recorded speech addressed to the United Nations General Assembly, “Our country is still living a tragic reality resulting from the war sparked by the old regime… and that the war of last April 15 erupted as a result of our refusal to overthrow the civilian government.”
Al-Burhan and Daglo’s statements came after the Sudanese army launched, at dawn on Thursday, an attack to regain territory in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and Bahri, to its north, with heavy artillery fire and air strikes.
The Rapid Support Forces did not issue official statements about the army forces’ attack on their positions in Khartoum.
image source, Reuters
Comment on the photo, Plumes of smoke were seen rising over Khartoum on Thursday during the fighting
The United Nations Human Rights Office told the BBC that at least seventy-eight civilians had been killed in air strikes and shelling in the capital this month, before the new attack was launched on Thursday.
Human Rights Office spokesman Jeremy Lawrence called for an immediate ceasefire, expressing concern about the safety of civilians and warning of further displacement and damage to infrastructure.
There are still reports of heavy fighting in and around Khartoum. An army source told Agence France-Presse that Sudanese army forces are “fighting fierce battles against the rebel militia inside Khartoum,” referring to the Rapid Support Forces.
The war has erupted in Sudan since the army and the Rapid Support Forces engaged in a fierce power struggle in April 2023, leading to what the United Nations described as one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
Up to 150,000 Sudanese were killed in the conflict, while more than 10 million, about a fifth of the population, were forced to leave their homes.
Eyewitnesses reported intense air strikes and violent battles on Thursday, while army forces crossed two main bridges over the Nile River, which separates government-controlled areas in Omdurman from areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.
Since the beginning of the war, paramilitary militias have controlled almost all parts of the capital.
The advances made by government forces on Thursday appear to be the first major attempt in months to regain some territory.
Most of the worst and most intense fighting took place in densely populated areas. Both sides accused the other of bombing civilian areas indiscriminately.
The World Health Organization says at least 20,000 people were killed, but some estimates indicate that up to 150,000 people were killed.
The United Nations warned on Wednesday that “ongoing hostilities across the country have brought misery to millions of civilians, sparking the world’s fastest displacement crisis.”
She pointed out that half of the displaced, who number ten million in total, are children, while at least two million Sudanese have sought protection in neighboring countries.
The United Nations also described Sudan as facing “the largest hunger crisis in the world.” There are fears of famine spreading more widely, as people have been unable to grow any crops.
Famine was declared in the Zamzam refugee camp in Darfur near the city of El Fasher, the only capital among five state capitals in Darfur that the Rapid Support Forces have not yet controlled. Last weekend, the Rapid Support Forces launched a large-scale attack after months of siege.
There were warnings of possible genocide against non-Arab Sudanese in the western Darfur region.
A cholera epidemic is also spreading across the country, with more than 430 people dying from this easily treatable disease over the past month, according to the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
However, getting treatment to affected areas has become extremely complicated due to the conflict.
United Nations relief official Joyce Misoya said in a statement, “People in Sudan have endured 17 months of hell, and the suffering continues to increase.”
