Sudanese army in control of almost all of country
The exception is a few areas of the western region of Darfur
Sudan’s military has control over the entire territory of the country, except for several areas in the western Darfur region, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army’s chief, said on Friday.
“The army controls the whole Sudan, with the exception of a few areas of Darfur,” al-Burhan said, as cited by Alhurra TV channel.
The armed forces “can resolve the conflict in no time, but the army’s actions are aimed at preserving infrastructure and protecting the civilian population,” he said, adding, “This is a matter of national responsibility.”
Al-Burhan rejected any possibility of talks with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who, in his opinion, “is heading the rebellion and should be put on trial.”
According to the army’s chief, as the situation stands, “the Rapid Support Forces have no choice but to either hold talks about integrating into the army or to [keep] fighting against the entire Sudan.”
The situation in Sudan escalated amid disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereignty Council, and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), who is al-Burhan’s deputy in the council.
The main points of contention between the two military organizations pertain to the timeline and methods for unifying the armed forces of Sudan, as well as who should be appointed as commander-in-chief of the army: a career military officer, which is al-Burhan’s preferred option, or an elected civilian president, as Dagalo insists.
On April 15, armed clashes between the rival military factions erupted near a military base in Merowe and in the capital, Khartoum. According to the country’s health ministry, more than 600 people have been killed in the country since the conflict broke out.
