Burhan: Sudan Does Not Rule Out Sanctions Amid Ongoing Fighting

Sudanese Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan affirmed that the army’s battle to end rebellion remains ongoing, and indicated that sanctions against Sudan may be imposed in the coming days amid growing defections within the opposing forces.

Al-Burhan’s Friday address in Al-Manaqil

Al-Burhan, who leads the Sudanese Armed Forces, delivered a speech following Friday prayers at the Al-Atiq Mosque in Al-Manaqil city, located in central Sudan’s Gezira State.

The army’s objective: Elimination of the Rapid Support Forces

He stressed that the army’s campaign will conclude only upon the complete eradication of the rebellion embodied by the Rapid Support Forces across all regions of Sudan.

Al-Burhan described the struggle against Sudan’s adversaries as continuing, asserting that these forces seek to subjugate and subdue the country — yet Sudan, he said, will not kneel.

He added that Sudan “does not rule out the imposition of sanctions against it in the coming days,” without specifying which entity might take such action.

Military developments since January 2025

The Sudanese Armed Forces announced on 11 January 2025 that they had entered Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State, one year after losing control of the city to the Rapid Support Forces.

Defections intensify amid shifting battlefield dynamics

Al-Burhan’s remarks come as the Rapid Support Forces experience a wave of defections, with fighters joining the Sudanese Armed Forces. Khartoum announced on last Wednesday the latest such defection: a new group comprising four military commanders, 318 personnel, and 50 combat vehicles.

Humanitarian crisis deepens

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to worsen due to the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023 over disagreements concerning the unification of the military establishment. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and approximately 13 million displaced persons.

The United Arab Emirates has provided Sudan with assistance valued at more than $800 million.