Al-Burhan: We will engage in any initiative to end the war, and Sudan will not return to what it was before April 15

The head of the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Sudanese army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said that their preparations to "end the war" do not prevent them from engaging in "any real initiative that ends the war and ensures the safe return of citizens," in a speech broadcast on state television today, Tuesday, on the occasion of the sixty-ninth anniversary of Sudan's independence.

Al-Burhan stressed that they will engage in any initiative that “leads to the elimination of what threatens the lives of citizens again,” noting “the multiplicity of initiatives and platforms calling for an end to the war, so our path was clear, and it is the path of the people, that the situation cannot return to what it was before April 15, 2023, and we cannot accept the presence of these killers and criminals and their supporters among the Sudanese people again,” referring to the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).

The Sudanese are commemorating Independence Day for the second time in a row amid a raging war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, which has killed at least 100,000 civilians, displaced more than 11 million people between displaced persons and refugees, and destroyed infrastructure in a large number of states.

Al-Burhan added that the anniversary of independence is taking place under difficult circumstances and conditions that the Sudanese people are enduring, and he expressed his hope that the same anniversary will return next year and "the country has bid farewell to sorrows, its unity has held together, and the solid foundations have been laid for building the nation."

He added that the Sudanese people are being subjected to killing, displacement, starvation, impoverishment and violation of sanctities "at the hands of the terrorist Al-Dagalo militia and those who cooperate with and support it," considering that this "clearly demonstrated to the people the value of belonging and true loyalty to this country."

Al-Burhan claimed that "the unprecedented popular cohesion and the relentless national momentum enabled everyone to walk on the path to victory and decisive victory," noting that "the Sudanese government responded to all the requirements of humanitarian work and the delivery of aid to those in need, and the government will remain committed to this matter, as well as the obligations of the state and its fighting forces to international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions and their protocols, and the laws for the protection of civilians, and we have put in place strict controls to preserve this humanitarian value," he said.

The Chairman of the Sovereignty Council added, "The government is making commendable efforts to facilitate people's lives and security, and to support the maintenance of infrastructure, health, education and agricultural services. He explained that the rumors about famine are pure fabrication, and are intended to interfere in Sudanese affairs," he said.

New Arab