Sudan Rejects Recognition Of RSF Territory

Sudan is drawing a hard line against any peace deal that lets the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) keep their grip on civilian areas. The government is making it clear: if there’s going to be a ceasefire, the paramilitary group has to completely pull out of the territories they’ve occupied.

Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, a top adviser to the Sovereignty Council, basically said they aren’t interested in any setup that legitimizes RSF control or risks splitting the country apart. For Khartoum, keeping Sudan’s borders intact isn’t up for negotiation.

Right now, the real flashpoint is El-Obeid. Eltayeb pointed to the capital of North Kordofan as the center of the fighting, claiming the RSF is trying to pull off the same kind of violence we saw in Al Fasher back in October. According to him, the Sudanese army has been holding its ground and successfully pushing back these attacks. He also dropped a serious accusation, saying the RSF is using advanced drones from certain regional players to target civilians, and he’s calling on the international community to finally label the group a terrorist organization.

When it comes to the peace efforts backed by the U.S., Sudan’s stance hasn’t budged: they’ll only get behind a plan that forces the RSF out of populated areas. Eltayeb warned that just “freezing” the current frontlines is a bad move because it would essentially give the group a pass for occupying civilian neighborhoods. On a final note, he gave a nod to Türkiye for sticking by Sudan’s recognized government and made a plea for more humanitarian aid, pointing out that UN funding for the crisis is still falling way short of what’s actually needed.

SOURCE: Anadolu Agency