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Sudanese Prime Minister Kamel Idris, in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, warned that the Rapid Support Forces ( RSF) could spread across Africa and the world.
He addressed the international and regional community, saying, “Sudan is only a stop, and if these militias are not defeated, the conflict will inevitably spread to several other African countries—and even beyond to the rest of the world.”
He said those now fighting the Sudanese government are “a group of mercenaries and rebel militias,” rejecting the term “Rapid Support Forces” and noting the group was legally dissolved.
He said the RSF cannot establish control over the city of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, describing their claims of control as an “illusion” and “meaningless.”
He affirmed that the issue of control requires legitimacy or recognition at the domestic, regional, and international levels, which they do not have.
He added that “these rebels and mercenaries have disregarded international legitimacy and U.N. Security Council resolutions” when they turned against the areas of authority they were originally entrusted to protect.
Regarding the withdrawal of the Sudanese army from El-Fasher, Idris described it as a “tactical retreat” and rejected describing it as a withdrawal that implies defeat in military terms.
He said what happened was not a defeat but a natural redeployment carried out under a military plan to return to the battlefield.
In another context, the prime minister denied the existence of famine in the country, saying, “There is no famine in Sudan.”
He described it as a lie used by the nation’s enemies as a weapon intended to weaken Sudan and the nation, stressing that the Sudanese state is working day and night to support food security in the country.
He also emphasized the existence of public solidarity and mutual support among families and within communities so that “no person goes hungry in any area of this great nation.”
However, he did not deny the presence of U.N. efforts and supplies to support food assistance.
As for the recent talks between Sudan and Washington, Idris described relations between the two countries as historic.
He said the recent visit of a Sudanese delegation headed by the foreign minister to Washington was part of consultations and coordination on global and regional issues, as well as for future productive projects between the two nations.
Under the plan, the militias would be required to surrender their weapons and relocate to designated camps. He said the Sudanese government is prepared to accept international monitoring as part of what he described as a three-phase plan to restore peace and stability in the country.
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