The military rhetoric intensified as warring factions in Sudan—Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti)— vowed to fight until the complete elimination of the other.
Their statements come amid significant battlefield developments, with the Sudanese army recently announcing full control over the capital, Khartoum, after expelling RSF forces.
During his Eid speech, Burhan pledged that his forces would continue fighting until victory, ruling out any peace deal unless the RSF surrenders its weapons. Meanwhile, Hemedti declared that his forces, which withdrew from Khartoum, would return stronger and more determined.
In a voice message on Telegram, Hemedti acknowledged that RSF troops had pulled out of Khartoum last week as the army consolidated its gains in the capital.
He said: “It’s true that in recent days, our forces withdrew to reposition in Omdurman. This was a strategic decision by our leadership and operations command. It was a collective decision.”
He added: “We assure you that, yes, we have left Khartoum, but by God’s will, we will return stronger, more resilient, and victorious... This war is far from over. In fact, it has only just begun.”
Speculation has arisen over the RSF’s withdrawal from Khartoum without significant fighting, leading to rumors of a possible undisclosed agreement between the two sides. However, both Burhan and Hemedti have categorically denied any such deal.
The country has effectively become divided into two parts, with the army controlling the north and east, while the Rapid Support Forces hold most of Darfur in the west and some areas in the south.
During the fragile political transition following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Burhan and Hemedti formed a temporary alliance to expel civilian figures from the government before engaging in a bloody power struggle that later escalated into open war.
Despite the setback suffered by the RSF in the capital at the hands of the army, the country remains de facto divided into two regions: the army controls eastern and northern Sudan, while the RSF holds almost the entire vast region of Darfur in the west and parts of the south.
