KHARTOUM – Sudan Now

Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejected a proposed expansion of the UN arms embargo on Sudan and ruled out any future role for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the state after the war.

Speaking in Khartoum on Sept. 10 during a meeting with media representatives participating in a forum on media issues, Al-Burhan said the Sudanese state remains committed to implementing the outcomes of national dialogue in ways that serve the Sudanese people.

He said those participating in the dialogue are forces seeking to build a Sudanese state based on justice and equality.

Al-Burhan said the national dialogue would include only political and civil forces and would have no connection to military forces.

He also dismissed the U.S.-backed proposal to expand the UN arms embargo beyond Darfur to cover all of Sudan, saying the draft resolution “will not pass” inside the UN Security Council and would have no impact on the Sudanese Armed Forces or their position on the battlefield.

The remarks came days after senior U.S. officials urged the Security Council to expand the arms embargo nationwide, arguing that foreign weapons, drones and mercenary networks are fueling the war and worsening civilian suffering.

Al-Burhan said Sudan would not allow any armed faction to gain political rewards from taking up arms.

“There will be no militia inside the state after the war ends,” he said.

He also said the RSF, which he described as a terrorist militia owned by the Dagalo family, would have no role in the Sudanese state after what he called violations and atrocities committed against the Sudanese people.

Al-Burhan said the government remains committed to its position on the Jeddah Agreement, which calls for the RSF to withdraw from civilian areas and public facilities.

The RSF did not immediately comment on Al-Burhan’s remarks.

October 25 and the Transition

Al-Burhan defended the military takeover of Oct. 25, 2021, saying it was not a coup but a correction of the course of Sudan’s revolution.

He said the first government led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok failed to build the state and sought to empower political parties at the expense of official institutions.

Al-Burhan also said Hamdok had agreed to dissolve the government and appoint a new one capable of building the state and moving the country forward.

His comments touch on one of the most divisive periods in Sudan’s post-Bashir transition. The Oct. 25 takeover derailed the civilian-military power-sharing arrangement that followed the 2019 revolution and deepened political polarization before the country later descended into war.

Early Months of the War

Al-Burhan said the first months of the war were harsh, with many military areas falling to what he described as the terrorist militia.

He said the Armored Corps remained one of the key military positions that did not fall, forcing the army to carry out airdrops of food and medicine to forces stationed inside the General Command in Khartoum.

Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 between the army and the RSF after tensions over security arrangements and plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the national army.

The conflict has since spread across much of Sudan, devastating Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan and other regions, while triggering one of the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.

Accusations Against Political Figures

Al-Burhan also accused a group including Mariam al-Sadiq, Khalid Omer Yousif and Babiker Faisal of attempting before the war to design an agreement separate from the Framework Agreement.

He said the proposal was aimed at controlling the executive branch and remaining in power for 10 years, adding that he rejected the offer completely.

Sudan Now could not independently verify Al-Burhan’s account of those discussions. The political figures named did not immediately comment.

Invitation to Washington

Al-Burhan said Sudan had invited U.S. officials to visit the country and assess conditions on the ground, adding that the invitation remained open.

He said such a visit would allow U.S. officials to view what he described as the facts of the situation inside Sudan.

His remarks come amid growing tension between Sudanese authorities and Western governments over the proposed arms embargo, accountability measures and international efforts to shape a political process to end the war.

Tribute to Sudanese People

Al-Burhan praised what he called the sacrifices of the Sudanese people during the war, saying they should be documented for future generations.

He also thanked what he described as brotherly and friendly countries that stood with Sudan during what he called a difficult period caused by the RSF’s attack on the Sudanese state and its institutions.