Sudan’s Burhan says army leads Khartoum demilitarization,

August 6, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – The head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said on Wednesday the army is leading the effort to demilitarize the capital, Khartoum, following its recapture from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The move is part of a broader plan to restore normalcy and facilitate the return of displaced persons. Al-Burhan has formed a committee led by his deputy, Ibrahim Jabir, to oversee the process, which includes clearing all military and armed groups from the capital.

Speaking at a meeting of the Khartoum State Emergency Committee, al-Burhan stated the army was the “first to initiate” the decision to secure the city. He urged officials to press forward with ridding the capital of all armed presence and directed the state security committee to take “decisive measures” to ensure weapons are confined to official military units.

Al-Burhan referenced the campaign to retake the capital, dubbed the “Battle of Dignity” by the army. The army recaptured Khartoum and Khartoum North in March after months of fierce fighting that pushed the RSF into western and southern parts of Omdurman before the military eventually secured the entire tri-city capital area.

During his activities in Khartoum on Wednesday, al-Burhan also inspected the Ministry of Interior headquarters.

Pledge to break sieges

In his address, al-Burhan also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to lifting long-standing sieges on several key cities. He named El Fasher in North Darfur, Babanusa in West Kordofan, and both Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan, stating that efforts to relieve them were underway “around the clock” and would “soon be crowned with success.”

The RSF has besieged El Fasher since April 2024, creating a severe humanitarian crisis by blocking aid to the estimated 300,000 civilians remaining there. A similar RSF siege is in effect in Babanusa.

Separately, the supply routes to Kadugli and Dilling are cut off by RSF checkpoints in the Dubeibat area, while the cities themselves face another siege by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.

Al-Burhan concluded with a vow that the army and its allies would continue to fight the RSF, which he referred to as “rebels” and a “militia,” until “all of the nation’s land is cleansed” of their presence.