Doha, September 19 (Darfur24)
The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has reaffirmed that the military will continue fighting until the siege on El Fasher and other cities is lifted.
Speaking to Sudanese citizens at the embassy in Doha, Qatar, Al-Burhan said the government welcomes all efforts to end the conflict, but only on the condition that Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and national institutions are preserved.
“We cannot mortgage our sovereignty to any country, regardless of our relationship with it,” he said, in comments published by the Sudan News Agency (SUNA).
Al-Burhan described the ongoing conflict as a “fateful war” for the dignity of the Sudanese people. “We will not lay down our weapons until we lift the siege on El Fasher, Zalingei, Babanusa, and every inch of the country defiled by the rebellion,” he declared.
His remarks follow a joint appeal by the Quartet countries—Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States—for a three-month humanitarian truce to allow aid delivery, leading to a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month transition process. The Quartet stressed that neither the warring parties nor Islamist groups should determine Sudan’s future.
Al-Burhan also said the state is committed to protecting and reintegrating those who abandon the fight. “Any opposition politician who returns to the national cause will find the political arena open to them,” he noted.
He concluded by attributing recent battlefield gains to the backing of ordinary Sudanese, saying the army’s strength derives from the people’s support.