Atbara: The Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has declared the Sudanese army's openness to engage in negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war and restoring the nation's unity and dignity. During a visit to Atbara in northern Sudan, where he extended condolences to the family of Army Major Muzammil Abdullah, recently killed in El-Fasher, al-Burhan emphasized that no current discussions are happening with the Quartet - comprising the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates - or any other parties.

According to Anadolu Agency, al-Burhan reiterated the commitment of the armed forces to continue confronting adversaries wherever they might be and refuted claims of targeting specific tribes or regions. He stated that while the army welcomes those who sincerely seek peace, enforcing peace or governmental authority against the populace's will is unacceptable.

His comments come in the lead-up to planned Quartet meetings in New York, aimed at fostering a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. The ongoing hostilities between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), active since April 2023, have resulted in over 20,000 deaths and displaced 14 million individuals, as reported by the UN and local authorities. However, research conducted by US universities suggests that the death toll could be as high as 130,000.

In a related development, the Sudanese Founding Alliance, led by the RSF, announced the establishment of a parallel government in July, under the leadership of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.