Sudanese War Escalates as Army and RSF Leaders Vow to Fight Till the End

Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
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Sudanese War Escalates as Army and RSF Leaders Vow to Fight Till the End

Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)

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.



Hamas Says No Point in Further Gaza Truce Talks

FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man inspects the house where Palestinian newlywed Hala Zaarab was killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man inspects the house where Palestinian newlywed Hala Zaarab was killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
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Hamas Says No Point in Further Gaza Truce Talks

FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man inspects the house where Palestinian newlywed Hala Zaarab was killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man inspects the house where Palestinian newlywed Hala Zaarab was killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo

A senior Hamas official said Tuesday the group was no longer interested in truce talks with Israel and urged the international community to halt Israel's "hunger war" against Gaza.

"There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip," Basem Naim told AFP.

He said the world must pressure the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the "crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings" in Gaza.

The comments by Naim, a Hamas political bureau member and former Gaza health minister, came a day after Israel's military said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing "most" of its population.