Sudan’s Burhan: No peace until the RSF is ‘eliminated’ from the country

Sudan's de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has taken a hardline stance against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, stating unequivocally that peace cannot be achieved until the group is eliminated. His remarks, made to reporters on Sunday, dismiss international mediation efforts that include the RSF as merely postponing the underlying crisis.

A non-negotiable demand for RSF's end

Speaking from Port Sudan, the temporary seat of his government, Burhan framed the conflict in existential terms. "There will be no peace until the RSF is eliminated, and any solution proposal that includes the RSF is nothing more than postponing the crisis," he stated. He clarified that elimination could mean either the group's fighters laying down their arms and surrendering or facing military defeat. Burhan emphasized that the RSF and the national army are not "equal forces," arguing the international community recognizes this disparity.

Skepticism toward international ceasefire efforts

General Burhan expressed deep skepticism about the timing and motives of international calls for a truce. He noted that such appeals intensified only after the RSF captured the strategic city of El Fasher in October 2024. "There were no ceasefire proposals during the siege of El Fasher," he observed. "After it fell, the calls increased because they want the RSF to control more areas." He accused the RSF of continuing to smuggle weapons into Sudan, particularly into the Darfur region, in violation of UN resolutions and without facing meaningful consequences.

A call for trusted mediation and an ‘open’ stance

While rejecting negotiations with the RSF, Burhan stated that Sudan is "open to all peaceful solutions" and proposed specific nations as acceptable mediators. "We proposed Türkiye or Qatar as mediators, but the RSF rejected the idea," he revealed, adding that regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Egypt could also play a constructive role. Expressing particular confidence, he said, "We trust in God first, then in [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan." The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 over plans to integrate the two forces, has created one of the world's most severe humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions.