Sudan's al-Burhan rejects talks and vows to retake all RSF-held territory

Sudan's military chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has rejected negotiations and vowed to retake every area held by the Rapid Support Forces, as fighting widened across several states. He made the remarks on Tuesday in Village 5 in the northern locality of Merowe, according to the Sudan News Agency. The statement came as fresh violence was reported in West Kordofan and displacement rose in Blue Nile.

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At least 10 civilians were killed in West Kordofan and several others were wounded in an RSF attack, according to a local charity group. The Dar Hamar Emergency Committee said the attack targeted Abu Ajal village in the southeastern countryside of En Nahud and accused the RSF of multiple violations against civilians. In Blue Nile, the International Organization for Migration said more than 5,500 people were displaced from villages over three days as security deteriorated.

Al-Burhan said the army would continue the military campaign until the RSF was removed from Sudan. His comments underline the continued rejection of a negotiated settlement by one of the war's main commanders, even as the conflict enters its fourth year. The fighting began in April 2023 after tensions between the army and the RSF escalated over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the regular military.

The latest violence also points to the widening geographic spread of the war. The army has been advancing in North Kordofan, while the RSF has intensified drone attacks, according to the reported battlefield picture. The RSF has also been massing in West Kordofan as the army pushes towards En Nahud and Al Khuway, raising the risk of further civilian harm and displacement.

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The conflict has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates. That scale has made Sudan one of the world's largest displacement crises and has deepened pressure on humanitarian agencies operating in areas where access and security remain unstable. The latest figures from West Kordofan and Blue Nile suggest the war continues to exact a heavy toll on civilians far from the main political centres.

A US envoy said Sudanese parties must lead any talks to end the war, while the US State Department has said neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the RSF, nor their leaders, represent legitimate constitutional governance for Sudan. What remains unclear is whether the latest battlefield shifts will alter the positions of either side or open any path back to negotiations. For now, the fighting appears set to continue, with civilians in several states facing renewed displacement and insecurity.

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