Sudan’s Sovereignty Council President, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed his unwillingness to negotiate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as long as the war continues, emphasizing his commitment to the “Jeddah Platform” and the necessity of fulfilling the obligations under it.
Al-Burhan, in a speech during his visit to the military area in Omdurman, stated, “The armed forces have no problem with negotiating, but how and in what form should this process take place? As long as the war continues, we will not negotiate while our citizens’ homes and the cities of Geneina, Nyala, Zalingei, Khartoum, Ad-Daein, and Gezira are occupied.”
He added, “If the rebels wish to negotiate, they must first withdraw their forces from these cities and gather them in specified areas.” He pointed out, “We are committed to the Jeddah platform, but it is up to the other party to fulfill the obligations it has signed on to in Jeddah.”
Al-Burhan further mentioned, “The rebellion and its associates, both domestically and internationally, wanted to impose their own agendas that would enable them to govern the country unjustly, but the will of the people and their army was supreme as all the armed forces, with the support of the popular resistance, confronted these schemes.”
In May, shortly after the outbreak of the war, the city of Jeddah, under a Saudi-American initiative, hosted talks between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which led to the signing of the “Jeddah Humanitarian Declaration,” which stipulates the protection of civilians, private, and public facilities and refraining from using them for military purposes.
Both parties exchanged accusations of not adhering to the “Jeddah Platform” and resumed negotiations in October. However, this round faced stubbornness from both sides of the conflict, considered a regression from what was signed in the “Jeddah Declaration,” prompting the mediators, Riyadh and Washington, to suspend the negotiations.
Since April 15, there have been widespread and violent clashes between the Sudanese army forces and the RSF in various areas of Sudan, as each side attempts to control vital headquarters, including the Presidential Palace and the General Command of the Armed Forces, the RSF command, and several military and civilian airports.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has escalated into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Since the outbreak of hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF in April 2023, the situation has deteriorated rapidly, with widespread violence affecting large parts of the country, including the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region. Over 25 million people, including more than 14 million children, require humanitarian assistance. The conflict has driven more than 7.4 million people from their homes, seeking refuge either within Sudan or in neighboring countries, making this the largest displacement crisis globally.
