Sudan’s army chief says peace impossible without RSF defeat

Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman and army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has stated that peace is impossible unless the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are defeated, as reported by the Middle East Monitor via Anadolu on January 26th.

During a press conference held at his residence in Port Sudan on January 25th, al-Burhan stated that “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.” 

Burhan also referred to the popular support enjoyed by the Sudanese Armed Forces, stressing that the conflict has resulted in widespread destruction and the killing of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Addressing international efforts to secure a ceasefire, the general argued that calls for a truce emerged only after the Sudanese army retook El-Fasher, interpreting the timing as an attempt to allow the Rapid Support Forces to expand their territorial control.

When discussing the possibility of talks between the warring parties, al-Burhan suggested Turkey or Qatar as potential mediators, an idea the RSF rejected.

In this context, the Sudanese leader told journalists that “we trust in God first, then in  Erdogan [Turkish President],” while reaffirming that “we, as the Sudanese people and the army, are determined to eliminate the RSF,” adding that the army remains “open to all peaceful solutions.”

However, as the conflict that erupted in April 2023 shows no sign of resolution, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate rapidly. The war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with tens of thousands killed and tens of millions displaced.

Despite repeated appeals from the international community urging the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid, conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging.

On January 20, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that 8.4 million people in Sudan will require nutritional assistance in 2026, underscoring the scale of the emergency.

Meanwhile, fighting continues unabated, with the RSF advancing in the Kordofan region and tightening its grip on North Darfur. Analysts have increasingly warned that the combination of ongoing military operations, restricted humanitarian access and institutional collapse risks pushing Sudan beyond a critical threshold, where prolonged conflict could further accelerate famine, mass displacement and state fragmentation. 

Middle East Monitor via Anadolu, Maghrebi.org