Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, the Head of the Sovereign Council and Commander of the Sudanese Army, traveled to Juba on Monday. He is set to meet with the South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, to discuss bilateral relations and the ongoing challenges in Sudan, a nation beleaguered by the consequences of war.
In a statement, the Sovereign Council stated that Al-Burhan, who is accompanied on this visit by Acting Foreign Minister, Ambassador Ali al-Sadiq, and Director of the General Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal, will delve into discussions about mutual relations and topics of shared interest in Juba.
This trip marks Al-Burhan’s second foreign visit after he left Khartoum for Port Sudan in the east of the country.
Tensions in Sudan escalated into a conflict between the army, led by Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, headed by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as “Hemedti”, in mid-April. This came after weeks of strain between the two factions.
The Sudanese army confirmed in a statement released on Sunday evening that 13 civilians were killed in bombardments executed by the Rapid Support Forces in areas north of Omdurman. This statement, shared on Facebook, labeled these attacks as a “recurring behavior among the war crimes” the militia has been committing against civilians since its rebellion against the state.
Eyewitnesses reported that both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces engaged in artillery shelling in the Engineers’ Corps area and several districts of Omdurman on Sunday.
The Rapid Support Forces presently control parts of Khartoum state, while the army attempts to cut off supply routes via bridges linking Omdurman, Bahri, and Khartoum. These areas, spanning both sides of the Nile River, form the broader capital region.
Sudan has witnessed prolonged periods of instability, and recent tensions have heightened between its military and paramilitary forces. These internal disputes have their roots in power struggles that ensued post the ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
The subsequent transitional government and power-sharing arrangements between the civilian and military factions have been a fragile construct. Meanwhile, South Sudan, which separated from Sudan in 2011 following a historic referendum, maintains crucial bilateral ties with its northern neighbor.
Both nations have often sought mutual consultations on issues ranging from border disputes to shared economic interests.