The Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has laid out clear conditions for ending the war and achieving lasting peace in Sudan.
The war in Sudan reached its 1,000-day-mark in early January, with SAF controlling 13 out of Sudan’s 18 states, consolidating its grip on Sudan’s south, north, east and center, including the capital Khartoum.
On the other hand, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) holds all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that remain under the SAF control.
No Peace With RSF Intact
Al-Burhan ruled out any chances for peace in Sudan until the complete elimination of the paramilitary group. Speaking to reporters from Port Sudan on Sunday, the SAF commander said that the RSF cannot be part of any solution.
“There will be no peace until the RSF is eliminated, and any solution proposal that includes the RSF is nothing more than postponing the crisis. A lasting solution is to eliminate the RSF. This does not mean they all must die; it could also mean laying down their arms and surrendering,” he said.
Al-Burhan also added that the RSF and the Sudanese national army are not equal forces, noting that the international community is aware of this disparity. “The two sides fighting here are not equal. The RSF is not equal to the Sudanese army. The whole world says this,” he stressed.
Ceasefire Calls
The SAF commander voiced skepticism regarding the recent international calls for a ceasefire. He noted that the calls increased after the fall of El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur state, in late October 2025, suggesting that they are attempts to allow the RSF to expand their territorial gains.
“There were no ceasefire proposals during the siege of El-Fasher. After it fell, the calls increased because they want the RSF to control more areas,” Al-Burhan said.
Furthermore, he accused the paramilitary group of smuggling weapons into Sudan, particularly into the Darfur region, in violation of UN resolutions and without accountability.
Trusted Mediators
Al-Burhan said that the Sudanese government is ready to engage in dialogue to reach a peaceful solution, expressing confidence in Saudi Arabia and Egypt as trusted mediators who could play a constructive role. “We are open to all peaceful solutions,” he said.
He also proposed Türkiye or Qatar as mediators, but the paramilitary group rejected them. “We proposed Türkiye or Qatar as mediators, but the RSF rejected the idea,” he said. “We trust in God first, then in [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan,” Al-Burhan added.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt, alongside the US and the UAE, are part of the Quad mechanism – aimed at supporting peace efforts in Sudan. However, Al-Burhan rejected the presence of the UAE in the group over evidence of its involvement in the war and its support for the RSF, although Abu Dhabi denies these allegations.
Conditions for Peace
The war in Sudan, which broke out in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced over 12 million people amid spreading famine and cholera outbreaks, triggering the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, according to the UN.
In light of this, Al-Burhan explained that what Sudan faces is a “broader test concerning state sovereignty, the society’s sense of unity, and the future of the regional order,” with the crisis evolving into a “foundational moment” that will shape the country’s political future.
In an article for Almanac Diplomatique, Al-Burhan outlined conditions for a ceasefire. “The essence of our conditions has not changed: withdrawal from occupied areas, the removal of heavy weapons from the equation, and the termination of any separate power center operating outside the state’s chain of command,” he wrote.
Moreover, he reaffirmed that any solution must be based on a “Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue and national priorities.”
Ending External Interference
Al-Burhan also highlighted the urgency of ending external interference in the conflict. With regards to this, he pointed to evidence that “certain external actors” have been supporting the RSF at various levels, which makes ending the conflict more difficult.
“Sudan’s national security cannot be turned into a ‘carrier line’ for regional rivalries,” Al-Burhan warned.
Concluding his article, the SAF commander made clear Sudan’s ultimate goal. “Sudan’s objective is clear: to re-establish the state’s legitimate authority, ensure the protection of civilians, and move toward an inclusive political process on a secure basis. Cooperation with friendly countries is important in this process; however, the compass of the solution will be Sudan’s sovereignty and the shared future of the Sudanese people,” he wrote.
