The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, vowed on Friday to eliminate the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, discussed the crisis in Sudan with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as Abu Dhabi faces mounting accusations of supporting the RSF.
Eliminating RSF
On Friday, Al-Burhan visited Al-Qutaynah city in White Nile State. Addressing the crowds in the city, he reiterated SAF’s determination to completely eradicate the RSF.
“The (Sudanese) Armed Forces and their supporting forces are determined to eliminate the rebellious militia and completely eradicate it,” he said.
Stressing that this is SAF’s single goal, Al-Burhan reaffirmed his commitment to continuing fighting “until this militia is annihilated and every inch of the homeland is purified.”
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between the SAF and the RSF, triggering what the UN called “the world’s most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis.”
The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 12 million inside Sudan and to neighboring countries, and pushed parts of the country into famine amid cholera outbreaks.
The conflict has also brought the country closer to effective partition, 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.
Saudi-US Effort to End Conflict
During Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the US on November 18-19, President Donald Trump announced a crucial decision on Sudan’s conflict.
At the request of the Saudi Crown Prince, Trump said that the US would start working to bring the war to an end, in a major policy shift in US’ position on the conflict.
“His Majesty would like me to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan. It was not on my charts to be involved in that,” Trump said.
“But I just see how it is important to you and to a lot of your friends in the room, Sudan. And we’re going to start working on Sudan,” the US President announced during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Washington.
SAF & RSF Reactions
In response to Trump’s announcement, Al-Burhan thanked the Saudi Crown Prince and the US President for their efforts. Shortly after, Sudan‘s Sovereign Council, led by Al-Burhan, expressed readiness to seriously engage with Riyadh and Washington to realize the peace that Sudanese people aspire to.
Similarly, the RSF welcomed Trump’s announcement, saying it responded “fully and seriously” to mediation initiatives.
In September 2025, the Quad mechanism – a group involving the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE – proposed a roadmap for peace in Sudan. The roadmap involved a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a 9-month transition to civilian-led government, without the involvement of either warring party.
Last week, the RSF said it agreed to the humanitarian truce, although it has not committed to it. On the other hand, Sudan’s army-aligned government said it would advance with the war.
SAF has put a number of demands to accept the humanitarian truce, including RSF’s withdrawal from the areas it occupies, according to Sudan Tribune.
US-UAE Talks
US State Secretary Rubio held a phone conversation with UAE’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, on Friday, during which they discussed “collective efforts to achieving a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan,” according to US State Department.
The Office of the UAE Foreign Minister said that both diplomats “reaffirmed the importance of achieving an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and ensuring the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians.”
Earlier in November, Rubio called for international action to cut off weapons supplies to the RSF, blaming them for the violence. “I think something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and support that the RSF is getting as they continue with their advances,” he said.
He also slammed countries involved in Sudan’s conflict, although he stopped short of publicly accusing the UAE.
“We know who the parties are that are involved. These things – that’s why they’re part of the Quad along with other countries involved,” Rubio said, adding that “this needs to stop.”
Allegations against UAE
The UAE has been accused of complicity in Sudan’s civil war by backing the RSF. The SAF-aligned government, UN experts and human rights groups have repeatedly accused Abu Dhabi of supplying the RSF with military support and mercenaries.
Moreover, Amnesty International said it had found evidence of weapons manufactured in Serbia, Russia, China, Türkiye, Yemen and UAE being used in Sudan.
Most recently, the representative of Sudan’s internationally-recognized government in Khartoum called on the EU countries to halt arms sales to the UAE and ensure their weapons do not reach war zones such as Sudan. He also urged the bloc to use its diplomatic weight to press Emirati officials “to cease sending weapons to the RSF.”
The EU, for its part, imposed sanctions on RSF deputy commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, including a visa ban and asset freeze, over the paramilitary forces’ “grave and ongoing atrocities” in El-Fasher, noting that the RSF’s actions “may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The UAE has consistently rejected claims of providing support to the RSF, denying any involvement in the conflict.
