Sudan’s army chief: RSF must withdraw before peace

United Nations — 

Sudan’s de facto ruler said Thursday that helium wants to extremity the warfare successful his country, but helium said helium volition not beryllium with his rival wide unless helium withdraws his fighters.

"We are keen connected stopping the warfare and restoring bid and security, without immoderate pre-conditions," Army Chief Abdel-Fattah al Burhan told reporters successful New York, wherever helium was attending U.N. General Assembly meetings.

However, helium stated respective conditions for talks to start.

"We volition ne'er beryllium with Hemedti unless his forces propulsion out, and unless they instrumentality what we agreed to," helium said referring to his rival, the caput of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known arsenic "Hemedti."

Once allies successful Sudan's transitional authorities pursuing a 2021 coup, the 2 generals person turned into bitter rivals for power. On April 15, 2023, warring erupted betwixt their forces successful the capital, Khartoum. It has since dispersed crossed Sudan, resulting successful wide atrocities and killing.

Burhan was asked astir caller warring that erupted betwixt his forces and the RSF successful Khartoum connected Thursday, but did not connection immoderate caller details.

Earlier Thursday, Burhan addressed the U.N. General Assembly yearly debate. He utilized astir of his code to speech astir the warfare successful his country. Not to beryllium outdone, his rival, Hemedti, issued a "General Assembly speech" of his own, on the societal media level X.

Ten cardinal radical person been displaced and fractional of Sudan’s population, 26 cardinal people, are struggling with situation levels of nutrient insecurity. Famine was confirmed successful August successful Sudan’s Darfur region, which has seen dense fighting. At slightest 14 different areas of Sudan are considered astatine hazard of famine successful the coming months.

"The nutrient spread is there, but it hasn’t reached the level of famine yet," Burhan told reporters.

Regarding efforts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to bring the parties to the negotiating array successful Switzerland successful August, the service main said it didn’t hap due to the fact that "external parties interfered" with the process.

The Sudanese subject accuses the United Arab Emirates of arming and equipping the RSF. The UAE was invited to a gathering successful Switzerland successful August and Burhan did not attend.

He said helium was besides not blessed with however the invitation was sent to him – successful his idiosyncratic capacity, not arsenic caput of state. He added that immoderate bid process should beryllium purely Sudanese-led.

Asked astir a July telephone telephone helium had with the person of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Burhan said helium told the Emirati that the RSF has received either nonstop oregon indirect assistance from the UAE successful the forms of weapons and training.

He said MBZ, arsenic the UAE person is known, "promised to reconsider the situation."

A study by a U.N. sheet of experts earlier this twelvemonth said determination was substance to media reports that cargo planes originating successful the UAE superior had landed successful eastbound Chad with arms, ammunition and aesculapian instrumentality destined for the RSF.

Publicly, the UAE denies that it arms the RSF and says it has lone sent humanitarian assistance to Sudan.