The situation in Sudan remains extremely grim, with Burhan insists on continued bloodshed, while Hemedti has declared a unilateral three-month humanitarian truce.
Burhan insists on continued bloodshed
The Sudanese army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, rejected a ceasefire proposal put forward by US-led mediators, dealing a blow to efforts to end a devastating war that has ravaged the country for more than 30 months.
In televised remarks released by the army late Sunday, Lieutenant General Burhan said the proposal was unacceptable and “the worst yet,” accusing the mediators of bias in their efforts to end the war.
Sudan descended into chaos in April 2023, when a power struggle between the army and the Rapid Support Forces erupted into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the country. The devastating war has claimed more than 40,000 lives, according to UN figures, but aid organizations say the true number is much higher. It has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, forcing more than 14 million people to flee their homes, exacerbating disease outbreaks, and pushing parts of the country into famine.
For more than two years, mediators known as the Quartet have been trying to end the fighting and restore the democratic transition that was derailed by the 2021 military coup. The Quartet comprises the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump proposes a ceasefire, while Burhan prefers the continued killing of innocents
This month, US President Donald Trump said he intended to pay more attention to helping find a solution to the war in Sudan, after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged him to take action during his visit to the White House.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire and for the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces to negotiate a settlement. In a report posted on the social media platform X, he also called for “safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid,” as well as a halt to the transfer of weapons and fighters to Sudan.
“We need peace in Sudan,” Guterres said.
Massad Boulos, the US advisor on African affairs, stated that the latest proposal calls for a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a nine-month political process.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agree to the humanitarian truce
The RSF announced its acceptance of the truce. In a televised address Monday evening, RSF commander Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo confirmed the movement’s commitment to a three-month humanitarian truce and called on mediators to pressure the military to accept the proposal.
However, Burhan insists on continued bloodshed. Burhan, the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, said the proposal “is the worst document so far” because it “dissolves the armed forces, dissolves the security services, and leaves the militias in place,” referring to the RSF. He said, “If the mediation continues in this direction, we will consider it biased.”
Burhan also attacked the American advisor, accusing him of trying to “impose certain conditions on us.”
Burhan said, “We fear that Mosaad Boulos is an obstacle to the peace that all the people of Sudan seek,” without elaborating on the plan.
Burhan continues to attack the UAE… and Abu Dhabi responds
In his remarks about Burhan insists on continued bloodshed, Burhan also attacked the United Arab Emirates. He said that since the Quartet includes the Gulf state as a member, the mediation group “is not innocent of responsibility, especially since the whole world witnessed the UAE’s support for the rebels against the Sudanese state.”
In a statement issued on Monday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Burhan, by rejecting the ceasefire proposal, had demonstrated “obstructive behavior” and that it “must be exposed.”
Burhan also denied that the army was under the control of Islamists or that it had used chemical weapons in its fight against the Rapid Support Forces, an accusation leveled by the Trump administration last May.
Burhan stated that the army would not agree to a ceasefire, Burhan insists on continued bloodshed and the war, until the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) completely withdraw from civilian areas to allow displaced persons to return to their homes, before any talks could begin to reach a political settlement to the conflict.
Read more: Sudan under Burhan’s rule: Political and economic failure and the instigation of civil wars
Despite Burhan insists on continued bloodshed, he contradicted himself by saying, “We are not warmongers, nor do we reject peace, but no one can threaten us or dictate terms to us.”
