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Sudan’s Al-Burhan Visits Qatar for Diplomatic Talks


Qatar's Amiri Diwan shows Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani meets Sudan's army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Doha, Sept. 7, 2023.
Qatar's Amiri Diwan shows Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani meets Sudan's army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Doha, Sept. 7, 2023.

DOHA — Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Thursday arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for diplomatic talks with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

A statement released Thursday by Sudan’s ruling sovereign council said Burhan and Qatar’s Sheikh are set to “discuss bilateral relations, issues of common interest, and the situation in Sudan."

Burhan’s visit to Qatar marks his third trip abroad amid ongoing conflict in Sudan that broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF.

Prior to his visit to the Arab nation, the Sudanese military chief Wednesday issued a decree dissolving the RSF.

"The decision comes based on the repercussions of these forces' rebellion against the state, the grave violations they committed against citizens, and the deliberate sabotage of the country's infrastructure," read the decree.

Burhan made his first public appearance in recent weeks having spent months under siege inside SAF's military headquarters based in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.

The SAF chief has since been based in Sudan's eastern city of Port Sudan, which hosts the northeastern nation's only functioning airport, the United Nations and several government officials.

Late last month, Burhan took his first international trip to Egypt, historically his closest ally, followed by a visit to South Sudan this week.

FILE - A handout picture provided by Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council on August 29, 2023, shows Sudanese Army chief and the council's chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (R) boarding an airplane heading for Egypt at Port Sudan's airport.
FILE - A handout picture provided by Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council on August 29, 2023, shows Sudanese Army chief and the council's chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (R) boarding an airplane heading for Egypt at Port Sudan's airport.

Both Cairo and Juba have sought to mobilize efforts to end the fighting, after attempts to mediate in the early months of the war repeatedly floundered.

Multiple truces brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia were systematically violated, before the two mediators adjourned talks in June.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project reports that the conflict between Sudan’s rival forces has resulted in the death of at least 5,000 people.

Data released by the United Nations shows over 4.8 million Sudanese have been pushed out of the homes due to the conflict and over 1 million have fled the country in pursuit of refuge – figures the international body expects will continue to rise.

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