Port Sudan, October 28 (Darfur24)
The chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said on Monday that he had approved the withdrawal of army forces from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, to protect civilians and prevent further destruction of the city.
On Saturday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced their control of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher, following 18 months of fierce fighting with the Sudanese army.
In a speech published by the Sovereignty Council, Al-Burhan said, “Everyone is following what happened in El Fasher. The leadership there, including the security committee, assessed that they should withdraw from the city because of the systematic destruction and killings of civilians taking place there.”
He added that he approved the withdrawal to spare the remaining citizens from destruction, emphasizing that the move was part of the ongoing military operations imposed on the army.
“In general, this is one of the stages of military operations imposed on us,” Al-Burhan said. “We always say and repeat: the Sudanese people will be victorious, and the armed forces will be victorious because the people support them.”
Al-Burhan also pledged to avenge the events in El Fasher and retake areas currently under RSF control.
The Rapid Support Forces now control all major urban centers in Darfur, following their takeover of El Fasher, the last city in the region that had remained under army control.