Sudan’s al-Burhan rejects talks, vows to retake all territory from RSF

What the report says

Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has rejected negotiations with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and said the military will keep fighting until it regains all territory held by the group. Al-Burhan made the remarks on Tuesday in Merowe in northern Sudan, according to the Sudan News Agency, framing the conflict as a military campaign that will continue until the RSF is removed from the country.

The statement came as fighting escalated in several regions. Al Jazeera reported that at least 10 civilians were killed in West Kordofan in an RSF attack, while a local charity group said several others were wounded. A community emergency committee accused the RSF of abuses in Abu Ajal village, and the International Organization for Migration said more than 5,500 people were displaced from villages in Blue Nile state over three days as security worsened.

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF began in April 2023 after a dispute over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the army. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates. Al Jazeera also noted that the army has been advancing in parts of North Kordofan, while the RSF has been mounting drone attacks and concentrating forces in West Kordofan.

The article said a US envoy has called for Sudanese-led talks and a civilian-led transition, but no breakthrough has been announced. The latest developments underscore both the continuing battlefield momentum and the lack of a political path to end one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.