Sudan's top general said Friday the military remains committed to a transition to civilian rule, in his first speech since brutal fighting between his forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began nearly a week ago.
In a video message released early Friday to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said: “We are confident that we will overcome this ordeal with our training, wisdom and strength, preserving the security and unity of the state, allowing us to be entrusted with the safe transition to civilian rule."
Since he took control of the country in an October 2021 coup, Burhan and his rival, commander of the RSF Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have repeatedly promised to shepherd the country until a civilian government has been elected. However, both have failed to sign political agreements that would see their institutions lose power.
The video message was the first time Burhan has been seen since the capital and other areas descended into chaos in the fighting.
On Thursday, Sudan’s military ruled out negotiations with the RSF, saying it would only accept its surrender. The two sides continued to battle in central Khartoum and other parts of the country, threatening to wreck international attempts to broker a longer ceasefire.
RSF said it had agreed to a 72-hour truce on humanitarian grounds from 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Friday, to coincide with Eid al-Fitr.
The capital was rocked by bombing and shelling earlier on Friday. Burhan did not mention the ceasefire in the pre-recorded speech posted on the army's Facebook page.
At least 350 people have been killed in the power struggle between Burhan and Dagalo.
