Sudan’s Deputy Military Commander, Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabashi, declared on Thursday that any progress in the peace process hinges on agreeing to a ceasefire on the army’s terms.
Speaking to the 18th Infantry Division in Kosti, Kabashi outlined the military’s conditions for ending the war, emphasizing that disarmament would only occur once a peace agreement aligned with their terms.
The army’s demands follow Kabashi’s absence at the final meeting of the Manama talks in Bahrain last month, leading to the collapse of another peace process. Despite mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia, the United States, Egypt, and the UAE, no ceasefire agreement has been reached.
Kabashi specified the army’s peace requirements, including the evacuation of residential areas and facilities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), directing them to gather at designated cantonment sites. He emphasized that a comprehensive political process could only proceed when it aligns with the army’s conditions regarding the RSF.
While Kabashi criticized external political forces providing a “political incubator” for the RSF without naming specific groups, analysts argue that the demands seem disconnected from the reality on the ground. Recent victories and control asserted by the RSF over Khartoum’s streets, Darfur, and a substantial part of Al-Jazira suggest their momentum in the conflict.
Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has led to over 12,190 casualties and the displacement of more than seven million people, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and UN figures, respectively. Deep-seated animosity between the rival factions has posed significant obstacles to mediation efforts, with the RSF continuing to assert control despite Burhan’s administration issuing statements as Sudan’s government.