Yasser Al-Atta: Al-Burhan Is Not Interested in Power, and We Will Compel Him to Continue

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Chief of Staff and TSC Member General Yasser Al-Atta said the army is nearing the entry into and liberation of the five major cities in Darfur—El-Fasher, El-Daein, Nyala, El-Geneina and Zalingei—which he described as “the head of the snake.” He stressed that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have no future in Sudan and that the military leadership will not allow any plans aimed at partitioning Sudan or separating Darfur.

In an extensive interview with Egypt’s Al-Shorouq newspaper, Al-Atta said Sudanese military intelligence possesses satellite imagery and confirmed information proving Ethiopia’s involvement in providing military facilities to the RSF militia, including the launch of RSF drones from Assosa Airport and other Ethiopian airports.

Al-Atta accused Addis Ababa of planning to exploit the current situation to occupy Al-Fashaga and Al-Damazin areas, saying an examination of the wreckage of downed drones revealed their equipment and the sources from which they were purchased in regional countries allied with the RSF militia.

Regarding border security, Al-Atta said the armed forces had detected and destroyed a large military convoy of between 250 and 300 combat vehicles that crossed the border from Libya and advanced 70 kilometers into Chadian territory on its way to support the RSF. He noted that the border triangle area is witnessing movements by RSF elements with support from Libya’s “Subul Al-Salam” battalions, which are active in gold smuggling, adding that a dedicated military force had been formed to eliminate them.

On foreign fighters, Al-Atta stressed that the armed forces do not care about decisions issued by the United States or the UN Security Council and will continue to seek a military resolution to the conflict. He said that after exhausting its core fighting strength, the RSF brought in more than 40,000 mercenaries from South Sudan, along with tens of thousands from Chad, Ethiopia, Somaliland and West Africa, as well as fighters from Colombia, Ukraine and remnants of the Russian Wagner Group.

Meanwhile, Al-Atta said the issue of establishing a Russian military base on the Red Sea is currently stalled politically because Moscow requires the agreement to be approved by an elected parliament and legally ratified, which is impossible under the current wartime conditions and in the absence of a legislative council.

In the same context, Al-Atta said that TSC President General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan is not interested in power, saying, “Al-Burhan is not clinging to power.” At the same time, he stressed that they themselves insist on keeping him at the head of the state because they fear Sudan could collapse. He added, “We will compel him to remain in power and serve as head of state for several terms,” explaining that this would help strengthen and support political parties so that they can become genuinely national parties.

Al-Atta also acknowledged that his brother and four other members of his family are being held at the RSF detention facilities in Daqris, Nyala. He revealed that the RSF had attempted to secure their release in exchange for the release of several RSF officers belonging to the Mahariya tribe. He said they had demanded the release of all army personnel held by the RSF in exchange for handing over the four officers. He added, “The RSF detained 43,000 young men in Khartoum during the war, and my brother is neither dearer nor more deserving than Sudan’s young men.”