The General of the Sudanese Army has declared that, the military is committed to handling over governance to a civilian-led government. The statement is seen as an apparent bid for international support, after days of brutal fighting between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces, that has played down hopes of democratic transition.
The Army Chief, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, pledged the military will succeed and secure the country’s “safe transition to civilian rule,” during his first speech after violence broke out. Many Sudanese believes the General’s statement is hollow, 18 months after he joined forces with his current rival, to seize power in a coup that cast aside Sudan’s pro-democratic forces.
General Burhan’s announcement was made on Eid al-Fitr day, a day which marks the end of Ramadan and month long of fasting. Such a day filled with prayer, celebration and fasting, was accompanied by gunshots ringing across the capital of Khartoum and thick smoke that billowed the sky.
Mosques held mass morning prayers in closed doors to protect worshippers from the intense fighting and cross fires, which have claimed over 300 lives so far. “We are confident that we will overcome this ordeal with our training, wisdom, and strength,” Burhan said in his speech, vowing to preserve “the security and unity of the state.”
“Ruin and destruction and the sound of bullets, have left no place for happiness, that everyone in our beloved country deserves,” he added. General Burhan’s speech marked the first time he has been seen, since the violence broke out in Khartoum and other part of the country.
The Khartoum explosions this morning, prompted calls for a holiday ceasefire by international communities. The UN’s and U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged a rest from the spiraling violence. The military claimed, the Army has agreed to a 24 hours’ ceasefire. Its rival, the Rapid Support Forces, has also promised to stop fighting for the three days of Eid al-Fitr, to pave way for the evacuation of civilians to safe corridors.
The two generals fighting to control Sudan, are always also in contention for international recognition by foreign powers, which have tried to implement Sudan’s much awaited transition to democratic rule.
As negotiations goes on between the warring parties and the international powers, General Abdul Fattah Burhan and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, portrays themselves as supporters of democracy on the world stage. They jointly seized power in a 2021 coup, that automatically made them the most powerful leaders.
The warring generals have both failed to implement agreements, that would get them to hand over power. In 2019, a deal was stricken after the generals turned on their autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir, in the wake of a pro-democratic popular uprising against his rule.
Army Rules Negotiation With The RSF
In worst case scenario, the Sudanese Army ruled out negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces on Thursday, saying it would accept if only the RSF surrender.
The Army’s stance raised the likelihood of a renewed clashes, that have pushed the Sudanese population to the brink and reopened an already dark chaotic chapters of the country’s history. Fears are increasing that the chaos in the strategically located nation, could also draw in its neighbors like Chad, Egypt, and Libya.
The military and the RSF paramilitary forces have long history of human rights abuses in Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces was born out of the Janjaweed militias, a rebel group known for series of the atrocities, when the Omar al-Bashir led administration sent them to deflate a rebellion in Sudan’s West Darfur Region in the early 2000s.
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