Sudan’s Burhan visits troops after losses to RSF

Sudan’s army leader Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has visited troops in two strategic bases in the capital, Khartoum and the twin city of Omdurman, following battleground losses to rivals from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the past week.

State-run Sudan TV broadcast his inspection of troops in Wadi Seidna base in Omdurman and Karari base in Khartoum on Tuesday.

Gen Burhan downplayed RSF's claims of seizing three army headquarters in the war-torn Darfur region, receiving hundreds of alleged defected soldiers - including in Khartoum - and capturing the airport in West Kordofan since 26 October.

He accused the RSF of staging attacks despite the ongoing peace talks in Saudi Arabia, saying the army would "fight on".

But Gen Burhan says the army is committed to talks in Jeddah to end the war that erupted in mid-April.

The army had earlier said it was forced to withdraw from Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, due to a shortage of supplies.

Saudi Arabia, the US, the African Union (AU) and the trade bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) are leading Sudan's mediation efforts.