Türkiye ready to broker peace in Sudan, Erdoğan tells army chief

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the recent developments in Sudan in a phone call with Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan, the commander in chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and reiterated Ankara’s readiness to mediate peace between the warring sides, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

Erdoğan conveyed “sadness and concern” over the increase in casualties in the “fratricidal fight” between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, a statement from the Directorate of Communications informed.

“Türkiye is ready to host talks should the sides decide to start comprehensive negotiations,” Erdoğan assured al-Burhan.

“We will continue our efforts in contact with the United Nations in order to ensure all emergency humanitarian needs of the Sudanese people are met.”

Erdoğan and al-Burhan also discussed the evacuation and safety of Turkish civilians in Sudan, the statement added.

Türkiye evacuated more than 1,700 Turkish civilians and around 300 nationals from 22 other countries from Sudan after clashes broke out on April 15.

For the past month, more than 550 people have been killed and thousands injured in the fight between two rival generals, al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.

The disagreement had been fomenting in recent months over the integration of the RSF into the armed forces – a key condition of Sudan’s transition agreement with political groups. Sudan has been without a functioning government since the fall of 2021 when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Turkish authorities, especially Erdoğan, have maintained close contact with Sudanese officials in this period, calling for “restraint and a cease-fire.” Ankara also mobilized all diplomatic means and sent its deputy foreign minister to partake in neighboring Ethiopia’s efforts last week to achieve a peaceful solution and prevent further bloodshed in Sudan.

On April 28, the Sudanese army and the RSF traded accusations over the shooting of a Turkish evacuation plane as it was landing in Khartoum. None of the crew was wounded, the Turkish ministry assured. The RSF denied firing at the plane.

Last Saturday, an official vehicle carrying the Turkish ambassador to Sudan was hit by gunfire in the capital. No casualties were reported and the source of the gunfire was not clear but the army and the RSF blamed each other for the attack.