Al-Burhan explained, during an interview with Reuters, that he asked neighboring countries to stop sending mercenaries to support the Rapid Support Forces.
The war broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in mid-April over plans to formally integrate the Rapid Support Forces into the army as part of a political transition process four years after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for a long time, in a popular uprising.
Al-Burhan said on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York: “Every war ends with peace, whether peace through negotiations or by force. We are proceeding on the same two paths, and our preferred path is the path of negotiations, and there is the Jeddah path, and we are optimistic that we may reach a positive result.”
Al-Burhan has made a series of foreign visits in recent weeks after remaining in Sudan during the first months of the war in light of the escalation of fighting.
He added that the purpose of the visits was to search for solutions, not military support, but he asked other countries to stop the external support that he confirms that the Rapid Support Forces are receiving.
Al-Burhan said: “We asked our neighbors to help us monitor the borders to stop the flow of mercenaries, and there are many foreign fighters in these forces who came from all neighboring countries and in the future they will be a danger to the Sudanese state and the countries of the region.”
Hamidati’s word
On Thursday, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), said in a video speech that coincided with Al-Burhan’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly, that he was ready for a ceasefire and political talks.
Previous claims by both sides that they want peace and are ready for a ceasefire have not succeeded in stopping the bloodshed.
Witnesses say that the army’s bombing operations have caused civilian casualties, and that the Rapid Support Forces are responsible for widespread looting, sexual violence and other violations, as well as participating in attacks with ethnic targets in Darfur.
On Friday, Al-Burhan denied the accusations against the army, describing them as propaganda by its rivals. The Rapid Support Forces also denied responsibility for the violence in Darfur, and said that it would hold its men accountable for any violations.
Al-Burhan said that the army’s deployment in El Geneina, which witnessed the worst mass killings in Darfur, was limited, which hindered its ability to respond.
The violence reached its peak after the killing of the governor of West Darfur on June 14. Al-Burhan said that he asked the governor to seek refuge in the army, but he refused and did not expect betrayal from the rebel groups.
He added, “The armed forces present in El Geneina are not sufficient in number to deploy throughout the entire El Geneina area.”
#AlBurhan #prefers #reach #peaceful #solution #conflict #Sudan