KHARTOUM, Sudan/ISTANBUL

The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said Saturday that the army is ready for talks to “end the war and restore Sudan’s unity and dignity.”

Speaking in Atbara of northern Sudan, while offering condolences to the family of Army Maj. Muzammil Abdullah, who was recently killed in fighting in El-Fasher, he said no talks are underway with the Quartet -- US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates -- or any other party.

Al-Burhan stressed that the armed forces “will keep fighting the enemy wherever it is found” and denied targeting tribes or regions.

He said those who genuinely seek peace are welcome, but “imposing peace or a government on the people against their will is unacceptable.”

His remarks came ahead of planned Quartet meetings in New York to push for a peaceful solution to the war in Sudan.

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting since April 2023, which has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities.

Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

In July, the Sudanese Founding Alliance, a coalition led by the RSF, announced the formation of a parallel government led by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.