Sudan's Burhan says warring factions 'need to sit and find the right way out'
Sudan's warring sides "need to sit as Sudanese and find the right way out to restore hope and life," army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told Al Arabiya TV on Saturday in his most conciliatory comments since fighting began.
In a lengthy audio interview with the network, Burhan said "Everybody loses in this war," while also insisting the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) needs to be incorporated into the army after any peace deal.
Burhan's comments come after a week of strife that has killed hundreds. The World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people had been killed and 3,551 injured since fighting broke out.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had vowed to open airports under the control of his forces for evacuations.
Residents of Khartoum's adjoining sister cities of Omdurman and Bahri said fighting intensified late on Saturday morning after a relative lull, with air strikes near the state broadcaster and gun battles in several areas.
Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare a week ago has dashed plans to restore civilian rule, brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers.
There has been no sign yet that either side can secure a quick victory or is ready to back down and talk. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum.
Burhan and Hemedti had held the top two positions on a ruling council overseeing a political transition after a 2021 coup that was meant to include a move to civilian rule and the RSF's merger into the army.
Reuters
