The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has called on the US President, Donald Trump, to intervene to end the war in Sudan.
“The Sudanese people now look to Washington to take the next step: to build on the US president’s honesty and work with us—and those in the region who genuinely seek peace—to end this war,” Al-Burhan wrote in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday.
“The consensus among Sudanese is that Mr. Trump is a leader who speaks directly and acts decisively. Many believe he has the resolve to confront the foreign actors prolonging our suffering,” he added.
War in Sudan
Al-Burhan shed light on the origins of the brutal war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke out in April 2023, urging the US and regional partners to step in to end it.
“It is tearing the fabric of our society, uprooting millions, and placing the entire region at risk. Even so, Sudanese look to allies in the region and in Washington with hope.
“Sudan is fighting not only for its survival, but for a just peace that can only be achieved with the support of partners,” SAF leader wrote.
Moreover, he pointed to the risks of the conflict’s spillover. “That battleground won’t stay confined to our borders. The war threatens the stability of the Red Sea to our East and the fragile Sahel to our West. And it poses a direct danger to US interests,” he warned.
Saudi Arabia’s Positive Role
Al-Burhan also hailed Saudi Arabia’s initiative to bring peace to Sudan. Trump vowed to end the war in Sudan after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked for his involvement.
“President Trump’s positive remarks following his meetings with the Saudi Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, were encouraging,” he noted.
“We welcome the sincere efforts of the US and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to secure a just and equitable peace in Sudan, and we appreciate their continued concern and commitment to ending the bloodshed,” he added.
RSF Future
SAF commander reiterated his readiness to engage in peace talks with Washington and Riyadh, but said that “RSF militia and its mercenaries must be dismantled” and excluded from any future role.
However, he left the door open for RSF members to integrate into the national army “but strictly under professional criteria and only for those who are free of any criminal wrongdoing,” he stated.
SAF Commitment to Peace
Moreover, Al-Burhan stressed that military solutions alone cannot bring real peace, reaffirming SAF’s commitment to a “transition to civilian rule.”
On Sunday, Al-Burhan rejected a ceasefire proposal backed by the Quad group – which includes the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE. He labeled the proposal as the “worst yet” for eliminating the SAF while keeping the RSF in their positions.
He also denounced the presence of the UAE in the Quad group, as Abu Dhabi faces accusations of backing the RSF with weapons and mercenaries – a claim it has repeatedly denied.
The war in Sudan has triggered what the UN called “the world’s most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis.” It has also split the country in two, as the SAF controls the center, north and east, while the RSF holds the entire Darfur region and parts of Kordofan, with each side declaring a government.
