Sudan’s al-Burhan vows to eliminate RSF, secure victory in Eid address
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan attends an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 11, 2023 (AFP Photo)
Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Saturday that “the joy of victory will not be complete until the rebellion is eliminated from every last part of the country.”
His remarks came in a pre-recorded Eid al-Fitr address, aired by Sudan’s state television, according to an Anadolu correspondent.
“There will be no retreat from defeating and crushing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, which has committed the most horrific violations against the Sudanese people,” Burhan said.
He expressed gratitude to the Sudanese people for standing and supporting the armed forces, calling them “the rightful owners of victory.”
Earlier, the Sudanese army regained control of a major marketplace in Omdurman — the first time since the RSF took control of the area in the early days of the conflict in April 2023.
The recapture of the Libya Market, a major RSF stronghold in western Omdurman, opens the way for the army to expand its presence in the western parts of Omdurman, which are still under RSF control.
The military control follows the army’s recent successes in Khartoum and Bahri.
In the past two days, the army has made significant gains, including full control of the capital and parts of the surrounding areas.
On Thursday, the army announced that it successfully cleared the final RSF pockets in Khartoum State and retook control of the Khartoum Airport, security and military headquarters, and several districts in the eastern and southern parts of the capital for the first time since April 2023.
In recent weeks, the territorial control of the RSF has been shrinking rapidly in favor of the Sudanese army across several states, including Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar, and Blue Nile.
The army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the U.N. and local authorities.
Research from U.S. universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
International and U.N. demands for an end to the war are mounting, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death because of food shortages.
The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.
