Sudan's army chief rules out reconciliation with paramilitary forces

KHARTOUM: Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has ruled out reconciliation with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and vowed to continue fighting.

"There is no reconciliation or agreement with the rebels. We will fight until the militia ends, or we end," Al-Burhan said in a video speech posted by the sovereign council on its Telegram account late Friday.

"Our battle continues until every site in Sudan is restored," said the SAF commander.

Al-Burhan welcomed the "Sudanese Popular Resistance" campaign.

"We welcome the popular resistance, and we will arm them, but the weapons must be legalised and registered by the armed forces," he said.

He however, criticized the recently signed declaration between the RSF and Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), a political coalition led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

"The politicians who signed an agreement with RSF made a mistake by talking to rebels," said Al-Burhan, noting that "the politicians' agreement with the RSF is unacceptable and valueless".

On January 2, the RSF and the Taqaddum signed the "Addis Ababa Declaration" to stop the war in Sudan.

According to the declaration, the RSF is prepared to immediately and unconditionally cease hostilities through direct talks with the Sudanese army.

The two parties to the declaration also stressed that sustainable peace in Sudan must be based on ending the multiplicity of armies and forming one professional army.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023.

More than 12,000 people have been killed in the fighting and 33,000 others injured, according to UN figures.

As of last month, over 5.8 million were internally displaced and more than 1.5 million others had fled the country as refugees.