Sudan’s rulings Sovereign Council has denied reports about a meeting between its head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Islamic movement leaders.
Sudan Tribune news portal, citing sources, said al-Burhan had met with Islamist leaders, including Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement Ali Karti, in the city of Port Sudan.
The broadcaster said talks between the two sides allegedly dwelt on the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.
In a statement, the Sovereign Council termed the reports as “completely false”, accusing the Sudan Tribune portal of “spreading rumors and lies.”
“I met Karti once in my life in China, where I worked as a military attaché, and he visited in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs,” al-Burhan stated. “I have not met with any political organizations, be they Muslim Brotherhood, communist, or Baathist, nor have any army commanders engaged with or entertained them. We are all Sudanese, and anyone who wishes to fight alongside us is welcome as a soldier like any other. If they harbour ulterior motives, we will reject them without hesitation.”
Karti, a former foreign minister, had served in the government of former President Omar al-Bashir, who was outed by the military in 2019.
On Thursday, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Karti and two companies over their links to the RSF.
The sanctions block all property in the US and entities owned by Karti, Sudan-based information company GSK Advance Company Ltd, and Aviatrade LLC company for actions that threaten stability in Sudan.
Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Burhan, and the RSF since April, in a conflict that has killed 5,000 and displaced more than 5.2 million, according to UN figures.
Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi Arabian and US mediators have failed to end the violence.
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi
Additional report from Sudan Tribune
[Photo: Head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council & Commander-In-Chief of Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Khartoum, Sudan. Photographer: Mahmoud Hjaj/ AA]