Sudan: al-Burhan rules out negotiations and vows to retake "every inch" from the RSF
The head of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, ruled out any negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during a tour of northern Sudan on October 6 and 7, 2026. He asserted that his troops would retake "every inch" of the territory held by the paramilitary militia, according to Al Jazeera.
Addressing soldiers and residents, the general was categorical: "We are not negotiating with anyone," he declared, according to the Sudan Tribune, which placed his speech in the locality of Amri on October 6. Al Jazeera reported remarks made on October 7 near Merowe, where he stated that the "military option" would continue until the RSF are eliminated. The army, he added, will fight until the group is defeated in Darfur, Kordofan, and the Blue Nile.
Three and a half years of war, 13 million displaced
The conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, following the failure of discussions regarding the integration of the RSF into the regular army and the transition to civilian rule. Since then, according to the United Nations cited by Al Jazeera, thirteen million people have been driven from their homes, and tens of thousands of others have been killed. The RSF still control most of Darfur, the Sudan Tribune specifies.
The fighting did not slacken while the general was speaking. Al Jazeera reported at least ten civilians killed in West Kordofan and 5,500 people displaced in three days in Blue Nile State. The army is advancing toward the localities of En Nahud and Al Khuway in North Kordofan.
Mediations stall
Regional and international initiatives have failed to produce any lasting ceasefire, the Sudan Tribune notes. Massad Boulos, an advisor to the U.S. president for the Middle East and Africa, once again advocated for a "national dialogue" led by the Sudanese themselves, Al Jazeera reports.
Al-Burhan took care to reiterate that the choices of war and peace belong to state institutions, particularly the Security and Defense Council, and not to one man. The phrasing shifts responsibility without opening any doors: at this stage, neither of the two armed forces vying for Sudan is offering civilians anything other than the total victory of one over the other. Yet it is these civilians, and the neighboring countries hosting their exodus, who are paying the price for a clash between two military commands.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
