Sudan’s Burhan says Khartoum will reject any proposal that fails to ensure security, stability

Adel Abdelrheem and Rania Abushamala

Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stated on Friday that the country would not accept or pursue any proposal that fails to satisfy the Sudanese people or guarantee their security and stability.

Al-Burhan, who also heads the army, made the remarks while addressing worshippers following Friday prayers at Sheikh al-Tayeb Mosque in Umm Marrahi, north of Omdurman and west of the capital Khartoum, according to the Sudanese News Agency.

“The armed forces are advancing in this battle based on the Sudanese people’s support and the strength of their determination and will,” he said, referring to the conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“We will never let the people down, and we will hand over this state only on the basis of a national consensus among all Sudanese,” he added.

“Anything that does not satisfy the Sudanese people or achieve their security and stability, we will neither pursue nor accept,” al-Burhan said.

Al-Burhan’s remarks came after the Sudanese government submitted its response to a US proposal calling for an immediate 90-day humanitarian truce, followed by negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and a peaceful civilian-led transition toward elections.

The US proposal also calls for a UN-led mechanism to support limited RSF withdrawals.

Two senior Sudanese officials told Anadolu on Friday that the government’s response included security arrangements requiring the RSF to withdraw, disarm, demobilize its fighters, and reintegrate eligible personnel into the military under UN supervision after a permanent ceasefire is reached.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing nearly 13 million others.