“We will fight until it ends, or we end.” Words that express the logic of stubbornness and insistence on the war of extermination. This is the conviction of the Sudanese Army commander General Abdulfattah Al-Burhan in his response to peace with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as he rejected an agreement signed between the RSF and political groups, pledging to continue the war.
Al-Burhan and his supporters do not believe that there is room for reconciliation with the RSF, as if the army, which he represents, is achieving victory or almost ending the presence of the Forces. But the reality of the battles says otherwise, as both the army and the RSF are incurring heavy losses. There is no victor yet, and everyone is simulating the battles of Al-Basus, where both neighborhoods will be destroyed.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the outbreak of this conflict - according to generals from the Sudanese army - is the presence of Brotherhood leaders within the military institution. This brutal conflict threatens Sudan with an endless civil war, and the best option is to stop the killing through dialogue so that what remains of Sudan does not slide into it.
The war generated a major economic crisis or deepened it exponentially. The price of a bread loaf tripled with the scarcity of flour and cash flow. At the beginning of the conflict, the Sudanese army announced that it could decide the battle against the RSF within days, which confirms that the operation was not properly assessed.
This does not differ from the army’s statements about keeping up the fight until the RSF is eradicated, forgetting that the Forces are actually elements of the Sudanese army, including officers and soldiers, who have received modern training. They became a striking force that cannot be underestimated, in terms of power, numbers, and even reach within society, with its tribal and regional diversity, which is an important element in the political equation in Sudan.
Al-Burhan's continued attack on the Rapid Support Forces cannot achieve peace or stability, especially after he called for classifying them as a terrorist organization.
The IGAD organization sought to bring together Al-Burhan and Hemedti for direct talks, in an effort to stop the bloody war. But the meeting was not held and the effort failed.
The army expresses its determination to eradicate the “cancer” that has afflicted the country. I believe that this description does not serve Sudan, nor does it end this war that has displaced huge numbers from their homes, orphaned children and bereaved thousands of women. Only dialogue will end this war and return the displaced to their homes.
In light of the continued fighting, the violation of the rules of engagement, and the non-protection of civilians - as the combat between the two sides is taking place in residential neighborhoods - the human suffering in Sudan will worsen. The country’s vital infrastructure was destroyed, including bridges, water and electricity stations, and government headquarters vandalized.
Reconciliation cannot be rejected if stability and an end to the war are sought. This conflict has gone on for too long and there appears to be no victor. It can no longer continue.
Mercy to the Sudanese people, who are now suffering from difficult living conditions, after they enjoyed some form of stability, before the outbreak of this war, which deprived them of the necessities of a decent life.
