Sudan’s al-Burhan pledges immunity for dialogue, rules out Hemedti return

Sudan's army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has pledged temporary immunity and legal, political, and security guarantees for participants in a Sudanese dialogue. Speaking on Saturday during celebrations for the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, al-Burhan announced that criminal proceedings against dialogue participants facing charges would be temporarily suspended.

He emphasized that these measures would not constitute a pardon but a temporary suspension of proceedings, preserving the rights of those who filed complaints. Al-Burhan envisioned the national dialogue as an open-ended process in a public space, allowing for free expression and criticism without fear. He also guaranteed legal protection for opinions and positions expressed during the dialogue sessions.

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the army was ready to engage with any serious peace initiative but would not accept what he called an “incomplete peace”

A group of Sudanese figures independently proposed the initiative and will oversee the dialogue, with the state not organizing the process or setting its agenda. Sources told Al Jazeera that the national mechanism is expected to announce its vision and plans soon.

Regarding the ongoing war, al-Burhan stated the army is ready for serious peace initiatives but rejects an "incomplete peace" that would allow the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, to return to power. He vowed to continue efforts to cleanse the country of the "terrorist militia." The path to peace, he outlined, must begin with RSF forces withdrawing from cities to designated areas, followed by the return of displaced people and refugees. Discussions on the status of RSF fighters and potential integration into regular forces for those without criminal records could then occur.

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the completion of the cleansing of the country from the terrorist militia