Sudanese army chief pledges support for civilian government

Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, pledged that the army would "protect the security and unity of the country" and ensure a "safe transition to civilian rule" in Sudan.

Tu lenh quan doi Sudan cam ket ung ho chinh quyen dan su hinh anh 1 Smoke covers the sky of the capital Khartoum during clashes between the Sudanese army and RSF paramilitary forces, April 19, 2023. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)

A VNA correspondent in Africa quoted a source from the area as saying that Sudan's military commander , General Abdel Fattah Burhan, on April 21 announced his support for a civilian government in the East African country, a move seen as an effort to seek support from the international community amid fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

In his first speech since the conflict broke out nearly a week ago, General Burhan asserted that the army would win the war with the RSF with its training, intelligence and strength.

He also pledged that the military would “protect the security and unity of the country” and ensure a “safe transition to civilian rule” in Sudan.

General Burhan made the statement on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr , which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Both the army and RSF had agreed to a three-day ceasefire starting on April 21 to allow Sudanese people to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. However, gunfire continued to be heard across the capital Khartoum and thick smoke was seen rising into the sky.

World Health Organization (WHO) figures show that violence in Sudan has left 413 people dead and 3,551 injured.

In a related development, on April 21, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed denied allegations that his country's army had crossed the border into neighboring Sudan.

Mr. Abiy Ahmed was quoted by the Ethiopian state news agency (ENA) as saying that the above accusation was untrue and was being used by some parties to distort the neighborly relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also stressed that the border issue between Ethiopia and Sudan can only be resolved through dialogue.

Earlier, it was reported that the Ethiopian army had entered Sudanese territory after clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and RSF forces.

The information was released in the context of the relationship between Ethiopia and Sudan remaining tense for the past few years with clashes in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia causing tens of thousands of refugees to Sudan, disputes in the Al-Fashaqa border area or the issue of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.

Fighting between RSF and Sudanese military forces broke out on April 15 in the capital Khartoum and several other places, including the Darfur region, leaving at least 400 people dead and more than 3,500 injured.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said about 10,000-20,000 Sudanese people, mostly women and children, have tried to evacuate to neighboring Chad to escape conflict in the Darfur region in recent days.

The United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF ) expressed concern about the risk of many children becoming victims in conflicts when a WHO report confirmed that at least 9 children were killed and more than 50 were injured in the above casualties./.

Van Tung-Trung Khanh (Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

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