Al-manaqil: The chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council said Friday that he does not rule out sanctions being imposed on his country 'in the coming days.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the army, declared, 'Our battle has not ended and will not end until the rebellion (by the Rapid Support Forces) is eliminated throughout Sudan.' He made these remarks following Friday prayers at the Old Mosque in the city of Al-Manaqil in the Gezirah state. Al-Burhan emphasized that the battle waged by Sudan's enemies continues, as they aim to subjugate the country, but he vowed that Sudan will not yield. He did not specify potential imposers of the sanctions.

His comments came in the wake of defections from the paramilitary RSF to the Sudanese army. Authorities in Khartoum announced on Wednesday the defection of a new RSF group, which included four military commanders, 318 personnel, and 50 combat vehicles.

In July, the United States enforced sanctions on Sudan over allegations of the Sudanese military's use of chemical weapons during the ongoing conflict. These sanctions restrict most financial and technical assistance to Sudan from international financial institutions, with exceptions only for humanitarian and food aid, and place strict limits on the export of US goods and technology.

Khartoum has categorically dismissed these allegations as 'baseless' and politically motivated, asserting that Washington has not provided credible evidence or adhered to the verification mechanisms of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Since April 2023, the RSF has been engaged in a fierce battle with the Sudanese army due to a dispute related to integrating the paramilitary force into the military. This conflict has led to famine and is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. It has resulted in thousands of deaths, displaced approximately 13 million people, and exacerbated humanitarian conditions, causing widespread hunger across Sudan.