ISTANBUL 

Sudan’s defense minister called Tuesday for a mass popular mobilization against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid continued deadly fighting in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.

In statements carried by local media, Hassan Kabroun described military preparations against the rebel group as a “legitimate national right” given the crimes committed by the RSF, particularly in the city of El-Fasher, capital of the North Darfur state.

He stressed that while the government welcomes peace initiatives and international mediation, it will continue to prepare for “the people’s battle” to defend Sudan’s unity and security.

The call was reinforced by an official statement from the army following an emergency session of the Security and Defense Council in Khartoum chaired by army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

A military statement said the council discussed the situation in the country, and pledged state support for the families of the dead, captives and missing.

The council said it reviewed “the unprecedented grave violations” committed by the RSF against unarmed civilians, accusing the paramilitary group of besieging El-Fasher and ignoring UN resolutions banning arms transfers into Darfur. It also criticized the international community’s failure to pressure the RSF to lift the siege.

The council said it discussed “arrangements to prevent a repetition of the El-Fasher tragedy,” as well as the overall political, military and security situation across Sudan, including humanitarian conditions and preparations for upcoming military operations.

The statement said while the government welcomes “sincere efforts” to end the suffering caused by the RSF rebellion, it will continue to ready its forces for “the people’s battle to defend the unity and security of Sudan.”

The council also thanked the US government and the US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, for “appreciated efforts” to address the crisis.

Boulos said Tuesday that efforts are ongoing to reach a humanitarian truce in Sudan, as the Sudanese army and the RSF agreed to an initial plan in principle.

“Both parties have agreed in principle, and we have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details,” Boulos said.

The US adviser said the current initiative, which aims to reach a mutual understanding for a complete ceasefire and a post-truce phase in Sudan, came within the framework that was agreed upon by the International Quad in Washington in September.

On Sept. 12, the international Quad of the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) called for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan to enable the delivery of emergency aid to all areas as a step toward a permanent ceasefire.

The US-led committee also suggested launching a 9-month transition process following the initial humanitarian truce to establish an independent, civilian-led government in Sudan.

Boulos noted that no direct or indirect negotiations are currently underway between the RSF and the Sudanese army, but a separate communication led by the US navigates the process.

He described the humanitarian situation in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, as “very urgent and painful,” affirming Washington’s condemnations of the atrocities targeting civilians in the city.

The RSF captured El-Fasher on Oct. 26 and carried out massacres of civilians, according to local and international organizations, triggering warnings that the takeover could cement a geographic partition of the war-torn country.

Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.