Sudan's army chief has warned that the war in the country could spill over in the region as he urged international pressure on the paramilitary unit he is fighting.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan alluded to the rival Rapid Support Forces' ties with Wagner, the Russian mercenary group hit by Western sanctions over alleged abuses in Africa. He is the de facto ruler of Sudan since a 2021 coup.
The fighting in Sudan has killed at least 7,500 people, according to the NGO Acled, and displaced some five million people, dealing a new, devastating blow to efforts to bring democracy to Sudan. About one million of the displaced fled into neighbouring countries.
"The danger of this war is now a threat to regional and international peace and security as those rebels have sought the support of outlaws and terrorist groups from different countries in the region and the world," Burhan said.
"This is like the spark of war, a war that will spill over to other countries in the region," he said.
"Regional and international interference to support these groups is crystal clear by now. This means that this is the first spark that will burn the region, and will have a direct impact on regional and international peace and security."
'Terrorist group'
War broke out on April 15 after the collapse of a plan to integrate the army and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Burhan's former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Burhan has increasingly been traveling around the world in recent weeks in what are seen as efforts to burnish his legitimacy.
At the United Nations, he urged world powers to designate the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, as a terrorist group.
"They have committed all sorts of crimes that give grounds for such a designation," he said.
"Those who have supported killing, burning, raping, forced displace ment, looting, stealing, torture, trafficking of arms and drugs, bringing mercenaries or recruiting children -- all such crimes necessitate accountability and punishment," he said.
Burhan's rival speaks
The United States earlier this month imposed sanctions on RSF leaders including senior commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Daglo, the brother of the group's leader, over alleged abuses including the killing of the governor of West Darfur.
But the United States and other Western powers have also been strongly critical of Burhan.
Alongside RSF leader Daglo, Burhan in 2021 sidelined the civilian leadership that had been part of a transitional power-sharing deal following mass protests that brought down longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.
"We are still committed to our previous pledges to transfer power to the people of Sudan with great national consensus and consent," he said.
"The armed forces would leave politics for once and for all."
Ceasefire
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said in a video message that his forces were fully prepared for a ceasefire and comprehensive political talks to end the conflict.
Most of Hemedti's recent communications have been audio messages, and his whereabouts have been a source of speculation.
In the video released on Thursday shortly before Burhan spoke, Hemedti appeared in military uniform, seated behind a desk with a Sudanese national flag behind him as he read out his speech. His location was not clear.
"Today we renew our commitment to the peaceful process to put a halt to this war," Hemedti said. "The RSF are fully prepared for a ceasefire throughout Sudan to allow the passage of humanitarian aid ... and to start serious and comprehensive political talks."
