Port Sudan, September 24 (Darfur24)
Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected a US State Department statement describing the Sudanese army, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their leaders as lacking legitimate constitutional authority, calling on Washington to engage positively with the Sudanese government.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said any initiative to end the war must respect Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and national institutions, and address what it described as the root causes of the conflict, including “negative foreign interference.”
The ministry said the government was dealing “positively and responsibly” with US efforts to end the war, including initiatives led by the Quartet, despite reservations about what it described as the role of one party in arming, financing and recruiting mercenaries.
It rejected any political or negotiation process that could legitimize what it called a “reality created by the rebel force” or equate the RSF with state institutions.
The ministry said the government welcomed US President Donald Trump’s stated interest in ending wars, including his remarks at the UN General Assembly on the need for action to end conflicts.
It reiterated that peace remains its “choice and strategic goal” and expressed readiness to cooperate with the United States and regional and international partners, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Russia, China, Turkey and Pakistan, as well as the Arab League, African Union, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and IGAD.
The ministry said such cooperation must be based on respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, the will of its people and national institutions, and should not involve external dictates or interference.
It also called for any future political process to end the presence of armed groups outside state institutions and ensure that weapons are held exclusively by state institutions. Such a process, it said, should create conditions for a Sudanese-led transition that meets demands for democracy, peace and justice while preserving the country’s unity and sovereignty.
The statement followed a US announcement on Tuesday that neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF and their leaders represent a legitimate constitutional government in Sudan. Washington called on both sides to accept an immediate humanitarian truce without preconditions and enter comprehensive political dialogue leading to civilian rule.
The diplomatic dispute comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Sudan’s army chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, after the United States declined to issue him a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, where he was scheduled to deliver Sudan’s address on Thursday.