Africa21 June, 20263 min read
Al-Burhan Says Sudanese Armed Forces Will Continue War Until Full Control
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The Sudanese Armed Forces will continue the war until full control; no negotiations with RSF. RSF drone strikes on El-Obeid kill at least 23; dozens dead or wounded.
Sudan vows no talks
Sudan’s top military leadership said the war is expanding and that there is no negotiation with the Rapid Support Forces, with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan telling a ceremony in Khartoum that "there is no negotiation with the Rapid Support Forces." Al-Burhan, identified as head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, said the armed forces and supporting forces are determined to complete a march and rid Sudanese people of "mercenaries and the Rabata Janjaweed." The same Khartoum address included a pledge from Chief of Staff Yasser al-Atta to continue the march of victory on all fronts up to Umm Dafuq in Darfur and the Blue Nile state in the southeast of the country.
In parallel, another report described the war that erupted in April 2023 as tightening its grip, with indicators of humanitarian and security spillover widening across multiple fronts between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. That report said Burhan reiterated commitment to continuing military operations until full control over Sudan’s territory is restored during a visit to worshippers at the Sheikh Khalifa Ali Barakat Mosque in the El Ailfun area east of Khartoum.
Drone attacks hit El Obeid
A surge in drone attacks in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, was described as targeting two fuel stations inside the city’s market in early morning hours, according to local sources. The report said the attack was part of an ongoing sequence of air strikes the city has endured in recent days, and it added that dawn raids on Thursday killed at least 14 civilians, including three members of one family, and wounded several others after drones struck residential neighborhoods. It also cited the Emergency Lawyers Organization saying the toll from attacks on El Obeid on Wednesday and Thursday reached 23 killed and 19 injured, with expectations that the number could rise due to serious injuries.
The same account said the city’s main transformer station was hit by a drone strike, causing a complete power outage across El Obeid, and it described the attack as plunging the city into total darkness that directly affected health services, water, communications, and economic activity. The report further stated that the Sudan Doctors Network condemned attacks targeting civil and service facilities, warning that more than a million residents and displaced persons are facing increasing difficulties in obtaining basic services.
International warnings and stakes
As international warnings mounted, the United Nations and 29 countries urged the Rapid Support Forces to refrain from launching any military operation against El Obeid, according to the report. The same account said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the grave consequences that could result from any ground attack on the city, stressing that civilians would be the first victims of any new escalation in the region. It quoted the UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric as calling on all parties to protect civilians, uphold international humanitarian law, and avoid widening the fighting.
The report also framed El Obeid as a strategic target because it hosts the headquarters of the Fifth Infantry Division, “Al-Hijana,” and serves as a major hub for transport and trade routes linking North Kordofan and Darfur with the rest of the country. Despite fears of escalation, it said the Sudanese Chief of Staff General Hashem Abdel-Mutalib ruled out the fall of El Obeid to RSF forces.