Image source: Reuters
Article informationAuthor, James Landale and Antoinette Radford Role, BBC News – New York and London
2 hours ago
The head of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudanese Army, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, warned the United Nations that the war in his country may spread to neighboring African countries.
In his speech, Al-Burhan urged the international community to classify its opponents, the Rapid Support Forces, as a terrorist group.
Meanwhile, Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, said he was ready for a ceasefire.
Since last April, Sudan has been witnessing a civil war that has killed thousands of people.
Back in 2021, the two generals staged a coup, but in recent months the power struggle between them has led to their men taking up arms against each other.
Speaking before the United Nations on Thursday, Burhan said his party was open to peace talks and wanted to “put an end to this war and alleviate the suffering of our people,” but he said the Rapid Support Forces rejected that.
However, in a rare video message to the UN, his opponent General Dagalo – also known as Hemedti – said he was ready to participate in the talks.
The civil war broke out in Sudan in April when members of the Rapid Support Forces deployed across the country in a move that the Burhan-led army viewed as a “threat.”
The fighting led to the deaths of at least 7,500 people and the displacement of millions.
In Al-Burhan’s speech to the United Nations, he alluded to the RSF’s ties to Wagner, a Russian mercenary group operating across Africa in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique and Mali.
He added, “The danger of this war has now become a threat to regional and international peace and security, as these rebels seek to obtain the support of outlaws and terrorist groups from various countries in the region and the world.”
Al-Burhan also stressed the need to consider the Rapid Support Forces a terrorist group because they “supported killing, arson, rape, forced displacement, looting, theft, torture, arms and drug trafficking, bringing in mercenaries, and recruiting children.” He said that these crimes require accountability and punishment.
However, General Burhan also faced criticism for military actions throughout the conflict.
After his resignation in mid-September, the UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, strongly criticized both generals who he said had chosen to “plunge the country into war.”
Perthes blamed the Rapid Support Forces for sexual violence, looting and killing in the areas they control. He also condemned the Sudanese Armed Forces for indiscriminate aerial bombardment.
RSF fighters are stationed in densely populated urban areas, and the Sudanese army appears to view these areas as legitimate targets.
The United States has already imposed sanctions on RSF leaders including General Dagalo, but the West has also strongly criticized General Burhan over his role in ousting Sudan’s main party in a 2021 coup.
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2023-09-22 04:52:09