Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stated on Tuesday that if the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) refuses peace, there is no solution except a military resolution.
Al-Burhan made the remarks during an address to officers and soldiers in the Wadi Seidna military base in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, according to a statement released by the Sudanese army.
“If the other party rejects peace, the army will have no choice but the military resolution,” he said. “What happened in Darfur confirms that the enemy does not want peace and does not want to end the war.”
Al-Burhan was referring to the recent escalation of war in Darfur, where the RSF has seized control of two strategic army bases in South and Central Darfur states. In addition, paramilitary forces seized Baleela Airport in one of the most important oil fields in West Kordofan State.
The commander-in-chief stressed that the army will not allow the disintegration and collapse of Sudan, will not yield to any external pressure, and will not compromise the country’s sovereignty.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced the resumption of talks between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Jeddah, under the sponsorship of Riyadh and Washington.
Previous negotiations between representatives of the army and the RSF in Jeddah resulted in the Jeddah Declaration in May.
In June, Saudi Arabia and the United States, in a joint statement, announced the suspension of Jeddah talks between the conflict parties in Sudan due to “serious and repeated violations” of the ceasefire.
Since mid-April, the Sudanese army and the RSF have engaged in confrontations, with a series of ceasefires failing to stop the conflict, leading to thousands of casualties and millions of internally displaced people and refugees, according to the United Nations.