Khartoum: Sudan's army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, currently engaged in a conflict with a rival paramilitary group, has called upon US President Donald Trump to help bring peace to the war-torn country. The conflict, which began in April 2023, has resulted in significant casualties and displacement, creating one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Burhan expressed his appeal in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal, urging the US to take decisive action to end the ongoing war. He emphasized the need for collaboration with regional actors genuinely seeking peace. Efforts to mediate peace between Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, have repeatedly failed, leading to a dire situation with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.
President Trump recently showed interest in the conflict, prompted by a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and vowed to work towards its resolution. Burhan highlighted the Sudanese perception of Trump as a decisive leader capable of confronting those prolonging the suffering in Sudan. He stopped short of naming the United Arab Emirates, which he has accused of supporting the RSF, a claim the UAE denies.
The United States, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are currently attempting to mediate a truce between the warring factions. However, both the Sudanese army and the RSF have resisted negotiations previously brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia. In his op-ed, Burhan described the conflict as a struggle between a sovereign state and a militia intent on destruction.
While Burhan's government is internationally recognized, the US has identified the RSF's actions in Darfur as genocide. Nonetheless, Burhan's forces have also faced accusations of targeting civilians and indiscriminate shelling since the conflict began. Burhan, who previously collaborated with Daglo to oust a transitional government, acknowledged the potential threat posed by the RSF long before the current conflict erupted on April 15, 2023.