KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has ruled out any possibility of reconciliation with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), vowing to defeat the group in an uncompromising statement on Saturday.
“We will neither forgive, nor compromise, nor negotiate,” Burhan declared in a video address, reaffirming the military’s commitment to restoring national unity and stability.
However, he extended a conditional amnesty to fighters who abandon their weapons and “repent to the truth,” particularly those in rebel-held areas.
The declaration comes as the Sudanese army claimed a major victory, announcing it had seized control of Souq Libya, a key market in Omdurman that had previously served as an RSF stronghold.
The army said it captured weapons and equipment left behind by the retreating paramilitary forces, tightening its grip on Khartoum’s twin city.
The military’s latest advances in Omdurman signal its growing dominance in Sudan’s capital region, which comprises Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.
The army already controls large portions of Omdurman, including two major military bases, and appears intent on securing full authority over the capital.
The RSF has yet to comment on the latest developments, but the group still holds some pockets of territory in Omdurman.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 as a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, has devastated Sudan.
Millions have been displaced, and the country is grappling with severe famine.
The United Nations has described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
A recent study estimated that as many as 61,000 people may have died in Khartoum state alone within the first 14 months of fighting.
Overall, the war has plunged Sudan into chaos, exacerbating instability across an already volatile region that includes Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
