Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rules out future role for armed groups in Sudan

Sudanese military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has stated that no armed factions or militias will be permitted to hold political or military influence in Sudan once the current conflict concludes. Speaking to journalists in Khartoum, Burhan emphasized that the post-war state will be built on a national dialogue involving civilian and political forces, but specifically excluding armed groups.

Burhan provided historical context regarding the relationship between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He claimed that during the administration of former president Omar al-Bashir, a proposal to integrate the RSF into the Sudanese Armed Forces was rejected. Burhan alleged that the former government instead sought to restructure the military in a way that would have dismantled the regular army to favor the RSF.

Addressing international developments, Burhan expressed skepticism regarding a potential arms embargo from the UN Security Council, stating he does not believe such a measure will pass and that it would not impact the army’s battlefield position. He also noted that Sudanese authorities have extended invitations to US officials to visit the country to assess the situation, though no response has been received to date.