Burhan visits Sudanese army HQ, pledges to end RSF ‘rebellion’
January 26, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, visited the military’s headquarters in central Khartoum on Sunday for the first time since leaving the compound in August, months after the war broke out in April 2023, pledging to defeat the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing conflict, state media reported.
Burhan’s visit to the General Command headquarters came less than 24 hours after the army broke a months-long RSF siege on the site. The army recently launched a major offensive, linking its forces in Omdurman and North Bahri with the Signal Corps base further south before crossing the Nile to reach the central Khartoum headquarters following heavy fighting with the RSF.
“The Armed Forces are in their best condition, and we will move forward with the determination of our people to eliminate this rebellion throughout Sudan,” Burhan said while addressing the army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff at the headquarters, according to a video about his visit released by the Sovereign Council.
He praised the resilience of officers and soldiers stationed at the headquarters and honoured those killed by the army and its allied groups in what he termed the “Battle of Dignity.”
“The recent victories achieved on various fronts were made possible by the Sudanese people rallying around their forces,” said Burhan. He added that the army was committed to ending the conflict and that the “rebellion” was nearing its end.
Burhan said the military was working to secure the remaining areas of Bahri, Omdurman, and Khartoum in the coming days.
At the General Intelligence Service headquarters in Bahri, Burhan ruled out negotiations or a settlement with the RSF. “We have no agreement or negotiations,” he told officers and soldiers stationed there. “We will not accept any individuals who collaborated with the rebels.”
Burhan was accompanied on his tour by Sovereign Council member and Assistant Commander-in-Chief Yasser al-Atta, Defence Industries System Director Mirghani Idris, and General Intelligence Service Director Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal.
The war between the military and the RSF erupted in mid-April 2023 amid tensions over a plan for transition to civilian rule. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 11 million displaced.