Khartoum: Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has vowed revenge for civilian bloodshed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 'We will avenge those who were killed and brutalized in El-Fasher, Geneina, Al-Jazira, and other cities and areas that were violated by the RSF militia,' Burhan said during his meeting with army commanders late Wednesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Burhan expressed his determination to defeat the RSF, stating, 'The campaign led by the forces of tyranny and arrogance against Sudan will be defeated, and the Sudanese people will prevail.' As both the chairman of the council and the army chief, Burhan reaffirmed the military's commitment to 'crush the rebel militia and secure the borders of the Sudanese state.' He emphasized that with strength and persistence, victory over the RSF would soon be achieved.

The RSF recently captured El-Fasher, a key strategic location in North Darfur, on October 26, and local as well as international organizations reported civilian massacres, raising concerns about a possible geographic division of Sudan. A January 2024 UN report highlighted that between 10,000 and 15,000 people, including the state governor, were killed in Geneina due to ethnic violence orchestrated by the RSF and allied militias.

Currently, the RSF controls all five states in the Darfur region, with only some northern areas in North Darfur still under army control. Meanwhile, the Sudanese army maintains control over the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum. Since April 15, 2023, the devastating conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, despite efforts by regional and international mediators to bring an end to the war.