“A war is being waged by a group of rebels receiving political and logistical support at the local and regional level,” said Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan in his address to the Assembly’s annual debate.

“You’ve all witnessed the crimes, violations and atrocities committed by these rebels targeting the Sudanese people and the Sudanese State,” he emphasized, pointing to countless crimes and forced displacement by the Rapid Support Forces, which he said should be considered a terrorist group.

The “devastating aggression” being waged by the RSF, with the support of the States in the region providing funding and mercenaries as well as weapons, “has resulted in the deaths of dozens of thousands of Sudanese and the displacement of many millions more,” he stressed, pointing out the regional political players who are in favour of the war.

“This Organization must shoulder its responsibility, specifically so as to protect developing countries in the face of the efforts by some other States who would like to control our people’s riches through the use of force and specifically through the use of money,” he stressed.

Recalling that the Sudanese Armed Forces is one of the State’s oldest institutions, “which is non-politicized and is very much in favour of the democratic transition,” he said that his country will never accept the return to the previous regime, which was rejected by the Sudanese people.

“We will continue pursuing peace, working with all groups who laid down their weapons as well as with groups who still carry weapons but who are willing to respect the Juba Peace Agreement signed in 2020,” he said.

Click here for the full statement (in Arabic).