Sudan's military is committed to civilian rule, claims top general
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Khartoum: After the brutal fighting between the paramilitary group and the military in Sudan, the top general on Friday said that the military is committed to a civilian-led government in the country.
Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan was addressing the people and the international community for the first time since the conflict escalated a week ago. He said that the military will prevail and secure the country's "safe transition to civilian rule". He also vowed to preserve "the security and unity of the state" and said the military is "confident that the country will overcome this ordeal with training, wisdom, and strength."
Burhan and his rival, RSF chief Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have been seeking the support of foreign powers like the US and the UN. Both have been saying they support democracy. In 2019, they ousted longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir from power.
Since then, they have failed to reach an agreement on how to take the governance of Sudan forward. In 2021, they jointly carried out a coup against the transitional government and crushed pro-democracy protests.
Burhan and Dagalo recently had a falling out over an internationally brokered deal with democracy activists. It was supposed to incorporate the RSF into the military rule which will lead to civilian rule.
The end of Ramadan was grim in Sudan due to the conflict. In the capital city of Khartoum, heavy smoke from the fighting was seen over the skyline. Norway’s ambassador to Sudan, Endre Stiansen, said that people are waking up to heavy fighting instead of the call to prayer. 413 people have been killed in the fighting so far and 3,551 people have been injured. According to WHO, nine children were also killed.