Sudan’s Burhan: Army Rejects Dictates from Any Party

Sudanese army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan at the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan in August. (AFP)
Sudanese army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan at the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan in August. (AFP)
TT
20

Sudan’s Burhan: Army Rejects Dictates from Any Party

Sudanese army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan at the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan in August. (AFP)
Sudanese army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan at the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan in August. (AFP)

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of the Sudanese ruling Sovereign Council and army commander, said on Saturday that his military is independent and not subject to any dictates from any party.

His comments came two days after the United States imposed sanctions on Ali Karti, the foreign minister under ousted leader Omar al-Bashir, who became head of the Sudanese Islamic Movement after Bashir was toppled in 2019.

On Friday, Burhan visited the Atbara artillery base, north of Khartoum in the River Nile state, where he met with local officers. This is his second visit to the base since his withdrawal from the army command compound in the Sudanese capital on August 25.

Burhan expressed his determination to end the war in Sudan, but said he aims to remove "the cancer that has infected the body of the state," reported the Arab World news agency.

The Sovereignty Council quoted Burhan as saying that the war was "imposed on us," warning about the presence of a group that wants to "swallow" Sudan.

On April 15, heavy fighting erupted between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Response Forces (RSF) in Khartoum after weeks of tensions building between the two sides.

"We are confident of victory in the battle of dignity thanks to the people's support. This army is the army of the fatherland and there is no side or party that has power over it," Burhan stressed.

He added that the war in Sudan is being waged by two brothers who only care about their own interests, referring to RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, and his brother and deputy Abdul Rahim.

Last Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on two companies, including one based in Russia, in addition to Karti, accusing them of deepening instability in Sudan.

"(Karti) and other hardline Sudanese Islamists are actively obstructing efforts to reach a ceasefire to end the current war between the Army and RSF and opposing Sudanese civilians, efforts to restore Sudan's democratic transition," the US Treasury said.

Also hit with sanctions was GSK Advance Company, a Sudan-based company the Treasury said has been used as a procurement channel for the RSF.

Meanwhile at least two people were killed and 20 others injured, including six children, during an airstrike on the Mayo neighborhood near a public hospital south of Khartoum, the South Belt Emergency Committee announced on Saturday.

The Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers announced that five civilians, including four members of the same family, were killed in artillery attacks by the RSF forces on the Omdurman region.

 

Armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF had resumed on Saturday in several areas of Khartoum.



Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Hamas Likely to Accept Two-Month Gaza Truce Proposal

Palestinians perform funeral prayers over the bodies of victims killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza, Thursday (AFP)
Palestinians perform funeral prayers over the bodies of victims killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza, Thursday (AFP)
TT
20

Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Hamas Likely to Accept Two-Month Gaza Truce Proposal

Palestinians perform funeral prayers over the bodies of victims killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza, Thursday (AFP)
Palestinians perform funeral prayers over the bodies of victims killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza, Thursday (AFP)

Hamas is leaning toward accepting a US-backed proposal for a two-month ceasefire in Gaza, with a formal response expected within hours, sources from the Palestinian group told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday.

The proposed truce, reportedly accepted by Israel earlier this week according to US President Donald Trump, would mark a major breakthrough in efforts to end the months-long war.

Hamas has begun informing mediators that it intends to respond “positively” either late Thursday or early Friday, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

They did not explain the reason for the delay but said “technical arrangements” were still being finalized. One source described the situation as similar to the lead-up to a previous truce agreement reached in January.

“All indicators are positive,” one Hamas source said. “We are closer than ever to a new agreement. The recent movements clearly show we are in the pre-announcement phase.”

On Wednesday, Hamas leadership referred the proposal to other Palestinian factions for consultation, seeking to secure a united stance on any eventual deal.

However, the deliberations were marked by caution, with one source warning of “traps” in the draft proposal and noting that the clause related to a “clear end to the war” remained vague.

A source close to Hamas told Reuters on Thursday that the group was seeking “guarantees that the American proposal will lead to a permanent end to the war,” as Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip continued to kill dozens, according to medics.

Ceasefire negotiations over the war in Gaza have intensified, with the United States and other mediators pushing for a temporary deal that would pave the way for a second phase of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the 20-month-old conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Despite diplomatic momentum, Israeli airstrikes continued across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing more than 100 Palestinians, including dozens waiting for humanitarian aid, according to local health authorities.

The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 118 people were killed in Israeli attacks from dawn until late Thursday, with 581 others wounded.

In a Facebook post, the ministry said hospitals in Gaza had received the bodies of 118 people in the past 24 hours.

The Palestinian civil defense said its crews retrieved 10 bodies and several wounded after an Israeli strike hit the Mustafa Hafez School, which was sheltering displaced people in western Gaza City early Thursday.