Top Sudanese General gives conditions for peace
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - A top Sudanese General has spelled out conditions to end the devastating war in the East African country that has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure, brought the economy on its knees and caused the world's worst humanitarian crises and famine in many areas.
Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta, assistant commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in a speech in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, demanded the “surrender and withdrawal” of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), against which it has been fighting since 15 April 2023.
The Sudanese news outlet, Sudan Tribune, said he also repeated his accusations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is supporting “mercenaries” in the country.
Lt. Gen. Al-Atta rejected any negotiation not based on the RSF’s withdrawal.
Sudan Tribune said he detailed the SAF's preconditions for peace, asserting they represent the definitive “state’s decision”.
These requirements centre on the comprehensive dissolution of the RSF as a fighting force and the restoration of state control.
“The SAF demands the immediate withdrawal of RSF forces from all major urban centres and their confinement to specified encampments located exclusively within South and East Darfur states. Furthermore, all weapons and combat equipment currently in the possession of the RSF must be fully surrendered to the Sudanese Armed Forces. Lastly, full national sovereignty must be immediately re-established over all key infrastructure, including international border crossings and airports across the country,” Lt. Gen. Al-Atta said.
He said that the SAF currently holds its main positions in El Obeid, North Kordofan, and a key base in Babanusa, West Kordofan, amidst fierce fighting for control of the western states, contrasting this with the RSF’s control over the five Darfur states and parts of Kordofan.
Lt. Gen. Al-Atta launched a sharp attack on the UAE, stating it is behind fuelling the conflict and financing mercenaries.
He accused the ruler of Abu Dhabi of bringing in mercenaries from Colombia, Ukraine, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Niger, and Somalia to fight alongside the RSF.
On Wednesday, the US said it expected the warring parties to commit to the humanitarian truce proposed by the Quad working to end the fighting.
This was stated in a post on X by Mr. Massad Boulos, US Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs, after talks in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with senior government officials.
Mr. Boulos said he had the opportunity to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Diplomatic Adviser to the President Dr. Anwar Gargash, as “we work together, and with our Quad partners, to urgently advance peace and humanitarian assistance in Sudan”.
He said: “We expect the RSF and SAF to commit to and comply with a humanitarian truce without preconditions and allow full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access. The truce is essential to saving lives and represents a critical step toward sustained dialogue, a transition to civilian rule, and a durable peace for the people of Sudan.”
The Quad, comprising the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, proposed a roadmap on 12 September to end the conflict in Sudan that calls for a humanitarian truce followed by a ceasefire and a political process leading to civilian rule.
Sudan’s civil war pits the SAF against the RSF – once allies who turned their weapons on each other in April 2023. Fighting has displaced more than ten million people, destroyed large parts of Khartoum and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The commander of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, announced last Monday his agreement to a humanitarian truce.
“In response to international efforts, led by the initiative of U.S. President Donald Trump, we announce the agreement of the RSF and its allies to a three-month truce and a cessation of military actions,” Daglo said in a video address.
The RSF faces accusations of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, including recent atrocities reported in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
But significantly, the Sudanese Armed Forces this week again rejected it with Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the military ruler, saying he will consider the Quad an "illegitimate entity" so long as UAE continues to be a member.
He said this is “especially since the entire world has witnessed the UAE's support for rebels (Rapid Support Forces) against the Sudanese state”. The UAE has always denied this statement by Sudan.
Lt. Gen. Burhan said that the narrative repeated by Mr. Boulos regarding the Muslim Brotherhood controlling the Sudanese army, is consistent with what is propagated by the UAE.
He said that this is nothing more than “a scarecrow tactic used to appease the Americans, Saudis, and Egyptians”.
He described Mr. Boulos' statement as nothing but “a false and a blatant lie”, emphasising the military institution's ability to reform and restructure itself.
“The paper presented by the Quad through Massad Boulos… is considered the worst paper to be presented, as it nullifies the existence of the Armed Forces, demands the dissolution of all security agencies, and maintains the rebellious militia in its positions,” Burhan said.
The army chief expressed concern that Mr. Boulos would become an obstacle to peace, citing the envoy’s alleged claims that the government was obstructing humanitarian aid and had used chemical weapons.
Mr. Boulos has denied that the proposal to end the war is "biased".
Lt. Gen. Burhan has praised the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his initiative and efforts towards achieving peace in Sudan, stating that his call to US President Donald Trump to initiate steps to end the war clarified the true picture of what is happening in Sudan.
"We will engage with this initiative in a way that allows us to end the war in the ideal manner that satisfies all Sudanese," he said.
Meanwhile, the East African regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), said on Tuesday that it is holding intensive and continuous talks with the warring parties and a key Quad of regional and international powers to secure a truce and ceasefire.
The bloc’s special envoy, Lawrence Korbandy, told Sudanese news outlet, Sudan Tribune that negotiations are the best way to end the “catastrophic situation”.
-0- PANA MA 27Nov2025
