Abdul Fattah al-Barhan visits key military site as WHO chief condemns deadly attack on hospital in Darfur region.
Sudan’s army chief, Abdul Fattah al-Barhan, has visited army headquarters in the capital Khartoum after government forces claimed to have broken a month-long siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Accompanied by top military officials on Sunday, al-Barhan praised the “resilience and sacrifices” of soldiers who defended the army’s general command for 20 months, vowing to “eliminate” the RSF and “restore Sudan’s In every corner” his warriors will pursue.
He also praised the ongoing operations of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) elsewhere in the country, including Omdurman, Bahri and El-Fasher, where heavy clashes have occurred in recent days.
“Our forces are at their best,” al-Barhan said at the headquarters, which was recaptured last week after being surrounded by the RSF since the start of the war in April 2023.
The SAF’s announcement on Friday that it had successfully lifted the RSF’s blockade of Khartoum and retaken control of parts of the city signaled a possible turning point in the nearly two-year war. The RSF denied the army’s claims as “propaganda” aimed at boosting morale.
Earlier this month, the army recaptured Gezira state capital Wad Madani, which had been held by the RSF for more than a year. There are reports that military forces have allegedly committed ethnic cleansing after capturing the strategic city.
The RSF has been accused of committing various abuses during the war – including accusations by the United States that it committed genocide during the war.
Al Jazeera’s Haba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said al-Barhan’s comments on Sunday indicated the general was not interested in diplomacy at the time.
“Al Burhan made it clear that he would not negotiate with the RSF, that there would be no reconciliation, and that the fighting would continue until the last insurgent was killed,” he said.
“This is not the first time we are hearing these words from the army chief, but regional partners and the international community have also tried to find a diplomatic solution. General al-Barhan seems to be opting for military victory at the moment, especially But since the last few weeks, the army has been able to regain control of more areas.
An attack on a hospital full of patients
The revelation came as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned the attack on a hospital in al-Fishar, Darfur, in which Dozens of people were killed.
The attack late on Friday targeted Saudi Hospital, the main hospital in the besieged area. It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. A local official said that the RSF carried out the drone attack.
At least 70 people were killed and 19 others injured, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Sunday.
“At the time of the attack, the hospital was full of patients receiving care,” Tedros said in a post on X.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the attack, calling it a “violation of international law and international humanitarian law”.
Local groups and international rights groups have previously reported attacks by the RSF on displacement camps and other facilities in which civilians have been killed and injured.
According to local officials, more than 5,000 people have been killed or injured since the RSF began its attempt to seize Al-Fisher last May.
Al-Fishar is the largest city and has the largest operational airport in the Darfur region, said Amjad Farid al-Tayeb of the Fikra for Studies and Development think tank. It is the last major area of the region under military control.
“The RSF is trying to take al-Fisher so that it can announce its government together with its allies,” al-Tayeb told Al Jazeera.
“What the RSF and its allies want is a full takeover of Darfur to install a government, leaving Sudan with a model similar to Libya.”
Al Tayeb also expressed concern over the pattern of RSF attacks since January 15, which have targeted water dams, power stations and oil refineries.
