Al-Burhan and Hemedti in two interviews with the Financial Times. A talk about the balance of power, sovereignty over the airport, and the relationship with Wagner and Egyptian soldiers

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council, commander of the Sudanese army, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan (Hemedti), spoke to the Financial Times about their vision for the fighting currently underway between their forces in Sudan.

Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in an interview with the newspaper that RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti was seeking to seize power, while his rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti) told the same newspaper that his forces had full preparations and that the battlefield would determine everything.

Al-Burhan also blamed the RSF for large-scale looting in Khartoum and the Darfur region, noting that a large part of the RSF had spiraled out of control.

He said the RSF killed World Food Program staff and attacked a convoy belonging to the US embassy.

On the ground, al-Burhan stressed that Khartoum airport is not under the control of either party so far.

Hemedti was also accused of triggering a diplomatic crisis by kidnapping Egyptian soldiers in Sudan on an official mission.

He noted that the Sudanese people supported the army in the face of the RSF, and that once Hemedti is defeated, the country's democratic transition process can resume.

Burhan stressed the military's commitment to completing the political process under the framework agreement and transferring power to a civilian-led government.

Hemedti's remarks

Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's deputy in the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Rapid Support Forces, told the Financial Times that his forces were ready to stop fighting, but Burhan was not.

Nevertheless, he stressed that his forces have full preparations at the field level, and that the battlefield will determine everything.

Regarding the balance of power with his opponent (the Sudanese army), Hemedti said that "Burhan's forces have the advantage of air power in addition to heavy artillery, but we are equal on the battlefield."

He pointed out that he did not oppose in principle the inclusion of the Rapid Support Forces in the regular armed forces, which is one of the most important and prominent issues of contention with the leadership of the Sudanese army.

Hemedti accused Burhan of being responsible for spreading fear among citizens and diplomats in Sudan.

On another issue, Hemedti said there was no truth to Western speculation that Russian Wagner fighters might be involved in fighting for the RSF.