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Sudan’s Burhan rejects ‘reconciliation’ with paramilitary RSF

Saturday, 06 January 2024 7:58 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 06 January 2024 7:58 AM ]

Sudan's army general and the de-facto ruler of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. (File photo by Getty)

Sudan’s army general and de-facto ruler of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has turned down the latest reconciliation efforts with his rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), pledging to carry on a nine-month war with the RSF.

“The whole world witnessed these rebel forces (RSF) committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in West Darfur and the rest of Sudan,” al-Burhan told troops gathered in Port Sudan in a video released by his office on Friday, referring to the ethnic cleansing in and around the West Darfur city of El Geneina.

“For that reason, we have no reconciliation with them, we have no agreement with them,” he added.

He also stressed that the RSF “doesn’t seek the good for the country,” and accused it of looting people’s properties.

Meanwhile, he welcomed dialogue with Sudanese politicians while urging them to distance themselves from the RSF and its chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Earlier this week, Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti, agreed with a truce put forth by civilian groups, on the condition that the military also agrees.

However, skeptics expressed doubt due to the paramilitary force’s history of unkept commitments.

Last month, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an African trade bloc, got Burhan and Dagalo to agree to an in-person meeting.

However, on Friday, Burhan dismissed the possibility and proceeded to label his opponent as a “clown,” “traitor,” and “coward.” He also firmly declined to accept the ceasefire agreement that Dagalo had signed in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, this week.

During his visits this week, he criticized African nations such as South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya for considering Dagalo as a statesman. He also expressed disapproval towards Sudanese politicians who had meetings with him in Ethiopia.

“He is humiliating the Sudanese people, he is killing them, insulting them, and some people are clapping for him and laughing with him,” Burhan said.

Both the military and the RSF have been accused by the United States of committing war crimes.

Ever since the conflict commenced on April 15, at least 5,000 people have been killed, more than 7.5 million individuals have been displaced and extensive areas of Sudan have been ravaged.

Not even a single truce effort, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US has succeeded in ending the violence.

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US Saudi Arabia Africa Sudan Addis Ababa Abdel Fattah al-Burhan West darfur Rapid Support Forces RSF Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Hemedti El Geneina Sudan military