The head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, is clinging to the war because continued fighting allows him to remain at the head of the military and the de facto authorities, said a former civilian member of the country's ruling Sovereignty Council.
“For him, the war is a matter of life or death,” Mohamed Al Faky told Sky News Arabia in an interview. “He is clinging to the fighting because it is what allows him to remain at the head of the military institution and to lead the de facto authority.”
Mr Al Burhan had claimed to represent the Sudanese state but lacked legitimacy beyond what he described as the “legitimacy of fighting”, Mr Al Faky said. The SAF chief would not accept an end to the conflict without political arrangements that could preserve his position in power, he added.
“The war is their means of remaining in power,” Mr Al Faky said, referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, which he accused of fuelling the conflict to return to power.
Mr Al Faky also accused Mr Al Burhan of seeking to maintain his position through military force, control over Sudanese territory and resources, and the continuation of the war.
“Through the rhetoric of war, he says that nothing can rise above the voice of the gun,” Mr Al Faky said.
Fighting between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has devastated the country of 50 million people and battered its economy. International efforts aimed at ending the war have struggled to secure a lasting ceasefire.
The war, now well into its fourth year, has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, displacing about 14 million people.
As well as the vast Darfur region, the RSF controls parts of the Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, while the SAF controls the capital, Khartoum, as well as northern, central and eastern Sudan. Each side has its own government, with the army-aligned administration based in Port Sudan on the Red Sea and the RSF's in Nyala in Darfur.
Europe's position on war
Nidal Shoukeir, an expert and senior government consultant, said Europe’s position on Sudan was clear and it wanted a civilian government.
“Europe is not at all satisfied with what the army did in overthrowing the civilian government,” Mr Shoukeir told Sky News Arabia, adding that Sudan’s future should be in the hands of its people and under a civilian government rather than military rule.
He said the army’s alleged links to Islamist groups were also a concern for European governments.
“Europe certainly will not accept that things continue as they are today,” Mr Shoukeir said, noting that developments in Sudan also have a significant impact on Europe, particularly on migration.
Mr Shoukeir said Europe was working with the US to increase pressure on the parties to the conflict and that tougher sanctions could follow.
“I believe today it is no longer enough for Europe or the United States to deal with this matter only peacefully,” he said. “There must be intervention and pressure, even through force, on the two sides of the conflict in order to move towards stability, end this crisis and have civilians take power in Sudan.”
On allegations that the army used chlorine in attacks, Mr Shoukeir called for an urgent and comprehensive international investigation.
“The more time passes, the more this evidence, particularly regarding the use of chlorine, fades and disappears,” he said.
Mr Shoukeir urged the army to allow international experts to enter the country to investigate the allegations, saying the issue was serious and could amount to war crimes.
He said the army’s refusal to cooperate with investigators could reinforce suspicions surrounding the allegations.
“If the army is confident that it did not do this, why does it not cooperate? Why does it not open the doors to international institutions so that it can refute this matter in a practical and scientific way?” Mr Shoukeir said.
He added that continued rejection through official statements would only deepen suspicion, as new evidence and reports were emerging about the allegations.
