JAKARTA - There will be no peace in Sudan until the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are eliminated, said the Chairman of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Sunday.
Under his command, the military is known to have been fighting the paramilitary group RSF since 2023.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Port Sudan, Burhan said: "There will be no peace until the RSF is eliminated, and any proposed solution that includes the RSF is only delaying the crisis. A lasting solution is to eliminate the RSF," as quoted by Anadolu (26/1).
"This does not mean they all have to die; it could also mean putting down their weapons and surrendering," he said.
General Burhan underlined that the conflict had caused widespread destruction, resulting in many civilian casualties and extensive material damage throughout the country.
He said no Sudanese were unaffected by the war and that the community remained united against the rebel group.
Responding to international efforts to broker a ceasefire, General Burhan pointed to the growing calls for a ceasefire after the fall of El Fasher in October, saying it coincided with efforts to allow the group to expand its territorial control.
"There is no proposal for a ceasefire during the siege of El Fasher," he said.
"After the fall, the calls increased because they wanted the RSF to control more territory," he said.
General Burhan said Sudan proposed Turkey or Qatar as mediators, but the RSF rejected the idea. He added that regional countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt could also play a role.
"We believe in God first, then in (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan," he said.
He also stressed that the RSF and the Sudanese army are not equal forces.
"The two parties fighting here are not equal. The RSF is not equal to the Sudanese army. The whole world says this," he explained.
"Despite the UN resolution, RSF continues to carry out attacks and smuggle weapons into Sudan, especially into the Darfur region, without facing effective action," he continued.
"We, as the people of Sudan and the army, are determined to eliminate the RSF," he said.
"We are open to all peaceful solutions," General Burhan added.
It is known that Sudan has been hit by fighting since April 2023 between the country's army and the RSF over disputes related to military unification.
The conflict has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with tens of thousands of people killed and around a million displaced.
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