On the first day of Eid al-Adha, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese army chief and head of the Sovereignty Council, expressed his confidence in achieving complete victory in the ongoing war. In contrast, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, accused the army of withdrawing from peace negotiations.
Al-Burhan stated in a tweet on his official X account that he grows more confident and certain of achieving complete victory in what he called the “battle of dignity” between the Sudanese army and the RSF. In a congratulatory message on Eid al-Adha directed at the resilient and steadfast Sudanese people, he expressed his belief that the nation will return to full health, strong, united, and a homeland of freedom, peace, and justice.
Conversely, RSF leader Hemedti emphasized that his forces would not hesitate to defend themselves against what he referred to as remnants of the old regime, elements of the Islamic movement within the Sudanese army and intelligence service, as well as “mercenary armed movements.” Hemedti reiterated his welcome to all regional initiatives aimed at achieving comprehensive peace and restoring the democratic path in the country, accusing the Sudanese army of withdrawing from peace talks. He added that Sudan is experiencing exceptional circumstances due to the war and called for the opening of all corridors to deliver aid to those in need.
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), the former deputy head of the Sovereignty Council, have been engaged in a war that has resulted in around 15,000 deaths and more than 8 million displaced persons and refugees, according to the United Nations. Approximately 1.61 million Sudanese have crossed into neighboring countries, according to the latest report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) dated February 12.
The UN report states that “food aid needs in Sudan are accelerating due to the recent expansion in fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF.” It warns that Sudan could become, in 2024, the third country with the highest percentage of people in need among the countries monitored by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
