Sudan‘s top general rejected a ceasefire proposal mediated by the United States, which seeks to end the civil war between the Sudanese military and a paramilitary group.
In a video released Sunday, Abdel-Fattah Burhan said the proposal effectively eliminated the Sudanese Armed Forces but maintained the power of the opposing Rapid Support Forces. For this reason, he called the proposal the “worst document yet.”
“If the mediation continues in this direction, we will consider it to be biased mediation,” he said.
Burhan’s statement marks Sudan’s first definitive statement since the ceasefire proposal was accepted by the RSF earlier this month. At the time, the SAF did not give a clear response to the proposal.
The U.S. was one of four countries that brokered the ceasefire, the others being Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
While meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week, President Donald Trump stated his commitment to cooperating with Arab leaders is essential for ending the Sudanese civil war.
“We will work with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern partners to get these atrocities to end, while at the same time stabilizing Sudan,” he said, concluding his Truth Social post with the message: “GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
Meanwhile, Burhan threw the fate of a possible truce into doubt as he took aim at Massad Boulos, the U.S. senior adviser for Arab and African affairs who is involved in negotiating the ceasefire. When he was presented with the “unacceptable” document, the general said he expressed his dismay, noting he didn’t read the paper. Instead, he referred it to the “relevant” committees considering the proposal.
Burhan maintained the SAF did not prevent humanitarian aid or use chemical weapons while fighting the RSF, as alleged by Boulos.
In the general’s mind, the only way to peace is to eliminate the RSF fully.
“I want everyone to know that any negotiations that do not lead to the elimination of this militia are invalid,” Burhan said. He later added, “The militia is no longer welcome among Sudanese people, and I don’t think anyone believes it will have any future role in Sudan.”
In his rejection of the ceasefire proposal, Burhan cited the RSF-led attack on El Fasher late last month before the proposal was announced. Some estimates show as many as 2,500 total civilians died in the attack. Sudan’s latest civil war has been ongoing since April 2023.
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On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for both sides to stop fighting and come to an agreement.
“We need peace in Sudan,” he posted on X. “We need an immediate cessation of hostilities. We need safe & unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. We need an end to the flow of weapons & fighters. We need the Sudanese Armed Forces & the Rapid Support Forces to come to the negotiating table.”