Sudan’s al-Burhan: We Are Fighting an Existential War

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared that the army is engaged in an "existential battle" for the nation, fighting with "honor and dignity, without interference from any external party."

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with honor and dignity, without interference from any external party.

In a video statement released on the official Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Facebook page, al-Burhan asserted that the army's fight is not against any particular Sudanese tribes or groups but against those he termed "rebels." He urged traditional community leaders in the Darfur region to resist incentives from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to join the fighting. Al-Burhan emphasized that the state and army are conducting the "War of Dignity" without targeting specific tribal or population groups, stating, "We are fighting rebels who have oppressed, violated, and committed crimes against everyone, and we are fighting them to rid the Sudanese people of this rebellion."

Meanwhile, signs of a political crisis have surfaced within the government. A dispute arose between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Army Movement, led by Khamis Abdullah Abakar, following the dismissal of Bashir Haroun Abdel Karim, the Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments, who belongs to the movement. The movement expressed surprise at the dismissal, stating it occurred without prior consultation and violated agreed-upon procedures in the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement.

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the battle of all Sudanese and, for us, it is an existential battle.

The movement reaffirmed its right to the ministerial portfolio allocated under the agreement and indicated it would nominate a new candidate soon. They stressed their non-acceptance of any violation or breach of the Juba Agreement and rejected attempts to marginalize them or undermine their guaranteed rights. The Juba Agreement granted armed movements five ministerial portfolios based on the 2019 Constitutional Document.

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We are fighting rebels who have oppressed, violated, and committed crimes against everyone, and we are fighting them to rid the Sudanese people of this rebellion.