Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Sunday the latest truce proposal sent by US envoy Massad Boulos on behalf of a group of mediators was the “worst yet” and unacceptable to his government.
In a video address released by his office, he said the Quad, which in addition to the United States includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, was “biased” as long as Abu Dhabi was a member.
He accused Boulos of parroting talking points from Abu Dhabi, which has been widely accused of arming the RSF. The UAE denies the accusations.
The army chief said that with the UAE as a member, the Quad was “not innocent of responsibility, especially since the entire world has witnessed the UAE’s support for rebels against the Sudanese state”.
Since war broke out between Burhan’s forces and his former ally Mohamed Hamdan Daglo’s RSF in April 2023, mediation efforts have failed to bring about a ceasefire, with both sides vying for a decisive military victory.
On Sunday, Burhan said the proposal received this month “eliminates the armed forces, dissolves security agencies, and keeps the militia where they are.”
The RSF at the time said it agreed to the truce.
“If this is where the mediation is going, then we consider it biased, especially Massad Boulos who threatens us and speaks like he wants to impose things on us. We fear he could be an obstacle to the peace all of us Sudanese want,” the army chief said.
Burhan’s singling out of Boulos comes days after US President Donald Trump declared he would end the war, after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged him to get involved.
The career soldier and de facto ruler of Sudan thanked both leaders on Sunday, welcoming the initiative as an “honest” one.
But he addressed mediators saying: “If you want a solution, come with a positive approach, come with a proper approach.”
“This is a war for survival,” he reiterated, insisting the only acceptable peace deal would include a total retreat of the RSF, who would be confined to specific areas.
The war has killed tens of thousands, displaced 12 million and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
The warring sides have shirked attempts at negotiation, with both believing they can win the war on the battlefield, according to analysts.
The army is currently on the back foot, after losing its last major stronghold in the Darfur region last month to the RSF. It currently holds the country’s north, east and centre including the capital Khartoum, while the RSF controls the west and with its allies, parts of southern Kordofan.
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© Agence France-Presse
