Sudan's army chief said Saturday that a transitional government would be formed soon, as the military makes major gains against rival paramilitaries in the capital and central parts of the war-torn country.
Speaking in Port Sudan, the country's de facto capital, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the new administration -- described as either a "caretaker government" or a "war government" -- would be composed of "independent" experts.
"We are seeking to form a government in the coming period that will complete the tasks of transition," Burhan said.
He added that its main objective would be to help "accomplish the remaining military tasks... and cleanse all of Sudan" of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Burhan also signaled that the government would lay the groundwork for a broader political transition, preparing the country for elections.
He said a constitutional document would be approved before appointing a prime minister, pledging not to "interfere in his tasks or duties".
The leader announced a cabinet reshuffle in November, replacing four ministers, including those for foreign affairs and media.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been locked in a devastating war between Burhan and his former ally, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the RSF.
In his speech on Saturday, Burhan ruled out negotiations with the paramilitary group unless its forces withdrew from Khartoum, West Kordofan in the south and Darfur in the west, and regrouped in "designated locations."
The army has in recent weeks won back large swathes of the capital Khartoum and its surroundings, after nearly two years of RSF control.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 12 million and plunged the country into "the biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded", according to the International Rescue Committee.
Advances in Khartoum North
Earlier on Saturday, the military said it had regained control of a key district in greater Khartoum as it presses its advance against the RSF.
The district of Kafouri in Khartoum North, or Bahri, had been under RSF control since war between the army and the paramilitaries began in April 2023.
In a statement, military spokesman Nabil Abdullah said that army forces, alongside allied units, had "completed on Friday the clearing of" Kafouri and other areas in Sharq El Nil, 15 kilometers to the east, of what he described as "remnants of the Daglo terrorist militias".
The army has in recent weeks surged through Bahri -- an RSF stronghold since the start of the war -- pushing the paramilitaries to the outskirts.
The Kafouri district, one of Khartoum's wealthiest neighborhoods, had served as a key base for RSF leaders.
Among the properties in the area was the residence of Abdel Rahim Daglo, the brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and his deputy in the group.
The recapture of Kafouri further weakens the RSF's hold in the capital and signals the army's continued advance to retake full control of Khartoum North, which is home to one million people.
