Momentum for political settlement increases amid continuing armed clashes in Sudan

KHARTOUM, Aug 28: The rare public appearance of Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council and general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Port Sudan on Sunday prompted speculations that the move was aimed at finding a political settlement between the two warring parties.

On the same day, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo presented a political vision for a comprehensive solution to the Sudanese crisis.

Dagalo called on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to reach a long-term ceasefire agreement combined with the principles of a comprehensive political solution that addresses the root causes of Sudan's wars.

He further stressed the importance of forming a democratic, civil government based on fair and free elections at all levels to enable all Sudanese to actively and truly participate in determining their political destiny.

Meanwhile, the National Umma Party (NUP), a major party in the opposition coalition Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance, announced its support to stop the war and achieve peace.

"If Al-Burhan's exit came with arrangements and understandings to stop the war, achieve peace and return to the democratic path, then we will support it in a manner that restores the seized rights of the Sudanese people and fulfills their aspirations for a decent life," NUP leader Fadlallah Burma Nasir said on his Facebook page on Sunday.

In the meantime, the armed clashes between the two sides continued. The independent Sudan Tribune news portal reported on its website that the SAF on Sunday intensified its air and artillery strikes against the RSF posts in various areas of the capital Khartoum.

The SAF has repulsed three RSF attacks at the army's armored corps camp in the Al-Shajara military area, south of Khartoum. The camp has been a major target for the RSF, where it had made several attempts to control it over the last week.

The SAF warplanes also targeted the RSF positions around Khartoum International Airport and the army's General Command in central Khartoum, an eyewitness told Xinhua.

The Eastern Nile Emergency Room, east of Khartoum, announced in a statement on Sunday that several citizens were injured in the Al-Haj Yousif neighborhood due to the falling of shells.

Similarly, South Khartoum Emergency Room said in a statement that 7 citizens were killed when a shell fell in the vicinity of the central market in southern Khartoum.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, which left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.

More than 4 million people have fled from their homes -- 3.2 million people were displaced internally and close to 900,000 have crossed the border into Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and other countries, according to the latest UN estimates.