The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has rejected a ceasefire proposal backed by the US and the Quad group.
This comes as the Sudanese army is engaged in fierce battles against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Kordofan region amid rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the war-torn country.
‘Worst’ Proposal
Addressing his senior army officers in Khartoum on Sunday, Al-Burhan slammed the US-backed proposal, submitted by US Africa Envoy Massad Boulos on behalf of the Quad, as the “worst yet” because it eliminates the SAF while keeping the RSF in their positions.
“The paper presented by the Quad through Massad Boulos… is considered the worst paper to be presented, as it nullifies the existence of the Armed Forces, demands the dissolution of all security agencies, and maintains the rebellious militia in its positions,” Al-Burhan said.
Moreover, the SAF’s commander lambasted Boulos, accusing him of impeding peace efforts and attempting to impose dictates on Sudan. “If this is where the mediation is going, then we consider it biased, especially Massad Boulos who threatens us and speaks like he wants to impose things on us. We fear he could be an obstacle to the peace all of us Sudanese want,” Al-Burhan said.
Concerns over UAE Involvement
Al-Burhan raised alarm over the UAE involvement in the Quad group, which also includes the US, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Abu Dhabi has faced accusations of arming the RSF, although it has consistently denied these allegations.
In his speech, Al-Burhan questioned the Quad’s neutrality amid the UAE’s involvement in the group. “The UAE cannot be accepted as a mediator in the crisis,” he stressed, adding that the Quad was “not innocent of responsibility, especially since the entire world has witnessed the UAE’s support for rebels against the Sudanese state.”
Claims of UAE Complicity
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.
Earlier in November, US State Secretary Marco Rubio called for international action to cut off weapons supplies to the RSF, slamming 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.”
However, the UAE has consistently rejected claims of supporting the RSF. On Saturday, diplomatic adviser to the Emirati President, Anwar Gargash, called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. “The path forward is clear: an immediate ceasefire, accountability for atrocities by both parties, unrestricted humanitarian access, and a credible transition to an independent civilian government,” he posted on X.
SAF Vows RSF Defeat
Al-Burhan addressed the conflict on the ground, vowing to reclaim the territories seized by the RSF. Describing the war as a “battle for dignity” and a fight for Sudan’s survival, Al-Burhan said that the SAF will continue fighting until it captures all the territories that fell to the militia in Darfur and Kordofan.
“We will expel them from this Sudan,” the SAF leader said, reiterating that the only acceptable peace agreement would include a total retreat of the RSF, which would be limited to specific areas. “We are not warmongers and do not reject peace, but no one can threaten us or dictate conditions to us,” he added.
Saudi-US Peace Initiative
The Sudanese army chief commended Saudi Arabia’s peace efforts to end the war in Sudan. During a visit to Washington, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, asked US President Donald Trump to get involved to bring the conflict to an end. “And we’re going to start working on Sudan,” Trump vowed.
On this matter, Al-Burhan thanked both leaders, welcoming their peace initiative as an “honest” one. He told the mediators to bring a positive approach. “If you want a solution, come with a positive approach, come with a proper approach,” Al-Burhan said, emphasizing that no one would accept the inclusion of the RSF in any future solution.
Battles in Kordofan
The SAF and the RSF are engaged in heavy fighting over areas in North and West Kordofan, Asharq Al-Awsat reported citing Sudanese sources. The Kordofan region, which includes North, South, East and West Kordofan, serves as a strategic corridor that links Khartoum and central Sudan to Darfur.
The RSF is tightening its siege on the SAF-aligned troops in Babnusa, the army’s last stronghold in West Kordofan, intensifying artillery and drone attacks to capture the town.
The fall of Babnusa will pave the way for the RSF to encircle Al-Obeid in North Kordofan and advance toward the capital, Khartoum, the sources said. Al-Obeid is a strategic city that hosts a key army airbase and acts as a buffer to the capital.
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.
