Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Says Sudan’s Peace Talks With RSF Require RSF Withdrawal

Sudan’s top military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese army and head of the Sovereignty Council, said the government’s openness to peace initiatives with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is “contingent upon ending the causes of the war and the withdrawal of the RSF.”

In a speech addressed to the Sudanese people on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr on Thursday evening, Burhan affirmed the state leadership’s “readiness to engage with any peace initiative” with the RSF, but only if it “achieves security and does not lead to a re-ignition of the conflict or to preserving its causes.”

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Burhan urged mediators to “play their role in supporting and implementing the initiatives proposed by the government,” describing those initiatives as stemming from “the will of the Sudanese people” and aiming to respond to demands to end any political or military role of the RSF.

He reiterated a rejection of “any truce or ceasefire before the RSF withdraws from its positions and regroups its forces,” saying that only then could a climate be created for “a real peace process that ends the war completely, not merely freezing it.”

Burhan said any peace agreement must be “comprehensive and clearly time-bound,” and must ensure “weapons are confined to the hands of state institutions and that no forces operate outside the framework of legitimacy.”

He also pledged to proceed with what he described as “purging the country of the RSF and its allies,” and to work toward the “return of civilian life” and “the establishment of a democratic system based on the peaceful transfer of power.”

The statements from Burhan come as Sudan’s conflict remains framed by competing military and political tracks, with Africa Intelligence describing how international mediation efforts have tried to position themselves between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti.

Africa Intelligence says that “Until the last minute, Saudi diplomacy tried to position itself as a mediator between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti,” and adds that “The next meeting between the Darfuri armed groups operating in Libya and representatives of the Sudanese army is expected to take place in Doha in early March, under the aegis of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

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It also places the conflict’s regional dynamics in border areas, saying “The border area between Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Chad is the scene of intense influence battles,” with “control of the Vakaga gold mines” and “the expansion of the Wagner group” at the heart of the issues.

Africa Intelligence further describes how the operational portion of a “World Bank emblematic program” is “heavily trimmed” and will be managed by the World Food Programme, characterizing it as a way for donors to “circumvent the aid freeze by removing the Sudanese military government from the loop.”

In parallel, Bamada.net reports that the Sudanese army and RSF have been waging a war “since mid-April 2023,” and says the conflict “has killed more than 20,000 and displaced 14 million people, according to the United Nations and local authorities.”

Bamada.net also cites a different estimate, saying “research conducted by American universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000,” and notes that the conflict has spread to “13 of Sudan's 18 states.”

Against that backdrop, Ilke Haber Ajansı says Burhan vowed to end the war and restore stability, affirming that the Sudanese Armed Forces are moving ahead with operations “until the country is cleansed of the Rapid Support Forces and all rebel groups,” while also claiming fighting continues “on all fronts.”

While Burhan’s Eid al-Fitr speech framed peace as conditional on RSF withdrawal, Bamada.net reports a harder stance on negotiation and compromise, quoting Burhan during a visit to the Omdurman military zone, west of the capital Khartoum.

Burhan told those present, “There will be no negotiation or compromise with those who have taken up arms against the state and the people,” and said, “we will continue on the path to victory until every inch of the country is purged of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).”

In the same report, Burhan said, “The army will not leave those who have taken up arms to fight at its side in the war for dignity,” adding, “They will be partners in any political project in the country. We will not exclude anyone.”

Bamada.net links the rhetoric to battlefield activity, saying “According to witnesses, explosions were heard in central Khartoum, with columns of smoke rising into the air, due to violent clashes between the armed forces and RSF fighters.”

It also reports continued movement in the Soba region, south of Khartoum, saying “The army also continued to advance in the Soba region, south of Khartoum, to control the Soba Bridge, which connects the eastern Nile region to Khartoum.”

Ilke Haber Ajansı similarly portrays Burhan as vowing to decisively end the war, saying he affirmed the “continuation of military operations against the Rapid Support Forces” and described the conflict as a “nightmare.”

That same source says Burhan stressed that the army “will continue its operations until Sudan is freed from the nightmare of the RSF militia and all rebels soon.”

Africa Intelligence portrays Sudan’s conflict as inseparable from power-locking politics in Khartoum, describing Burhan and Hemeti as “the power-locking couple” and tracing how international diplomacy has tried to manage their rivalry.

It says “Saudi diplomacy tried to position itself as a mediator between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti,” and notes that “The next meeting between the Darfuri armed groups operating in Libya and representatives of the Sudanese army is expected to take place in Doha in early March.”

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The same report describes the regional influence contest as centered on resources and external actors, stating that “control of the Vakaga gold mines and the expansion of the Wagner group” are set against “the rivalry between the head of the Sudanese junta and his number two.”

Africa Intelligence also describes internal political maneuvering, saying the opposition coalition Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) has opted for “silence dissenting voices,” while the State Department “opened dialogue earlier this month with Khartoum’s resistance committees.”

It adds that Burhan’s regime is “scrambling to find a replacement for the civilian prime minister Abdallah Hamdok, who stepped down on January 2,” and says “Diplomat Jeffrey Feltman will have stayed in post for less than a year.”

Africa Intelligence further describes how Burhan consolidated control by discarding a civilian component, stating that “In forming the new Sovereignty Council, of which he announced the first members last week, the coup leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has consolidated control over the country’s institutions, discarding a civilian component.”

In that context, the report says Hemeti “established last week a special ad hoc committee in an effort to find a quick solution to the east-Sudanese crisis,” and notes that Abdallah Hamdok had been asked to form a government but that “the task proves very complex.”

The sources portray immediate consequences for civilians and refugees alongside competing claims about how the war should end.

Bamada.net says the war between the Sudanese army and RSF has “killed more than 20,000 and displaced 14 million people, according to the United Nations and local authorities,” and it adds that “research conducted by American universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000.”

Anadolu Ajansı

It also states that “International and U.N. calls for an end to the war are mounting, warning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death due to food shortages,” and says the conflict has spread to “13 of Sudan's 18 states.”

Ilke Haber Ajansı frames Burhan’s next steps as reaching displaced people, saying “In messages addressed to the displaced and refugees, al-Burhan affirmed that the armed forces will reach them and relieve them of their suffering, pledging to restore security and stability in areas affected by the war.”

That same source says Burhan described the army’s approach as a “war of dignity” and pointed to “the resilience of the Sudanese people despite sieges, bombardments, and heavy losses.”

Africa Intelligence adds a parallel track on humanitarian access, describing how the “operational portion” of a “World Bank emblematic program — heavily trimmed — will be managed by the World Food Programme,” and calling it “a way for donors to circumvent the aid freeze by removing the Sudanese military government from the loop.”

Meanwhile, Burhan’s own conditions for peace emphasize that any agreement must be “clearly time-bound” and must ensure “weapons are confined to the hands of state institutions,” with the RSF withdrawing and regouping before any truce is possible.