Minnawi to UN Envoy: Any Truce Must Be Coupled with Disarming RSF , Withdrawal from Cities

New York – Sudanhorizon

Minni Arko Minnawi, Governor of Darfur Region, stated that any truce must not serve as a gateway to legitimizing what is arbitrarily termed a “Tasis government” or to entrenching a political reality based on establishing an authority parallel to the Sudanese state. He emphasized that a state cannot exist without its people, nor can the legitimacy of any government be built at the expense of citizens or in disregard of their will, firmly rejecting any equation of the state with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.

These remarks were made during his meeting with Pekka Haavisto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sudan, where they discussed the proposed truce as well as the political, humanitarian, and security situations in Sudan and Darfur.

In a post on his official Facebook page today (Monday), Minnawi stressed the necessity of disarming the RSF militia and its foreign mercenaries, expelling them from citizens’ homes, and assembling their forces at designated points outside cities. He also called for opening routes for humanitarian aid and facilitating the return of displaced persons and refugees to their villages as prerequisites for achieving a genuine truce that serves civilians.

He asserted that the crisis cannot be resolved by ignoring the fact that the militia has committed the vast majority of crimes and violations against the Sudanese people, emphasizing that sustainable peace is not built on partitioning Sudan or establishing parallel governments, but rather on a single, unified, and sovereign state. The regional governor highlighted the worsening humanitarian tragedy in Darfur, noting that the region is home to approximately 12 million citizens. He explained that over 8 million of them have been displaced—either internally or as refugees—while those remaining within the region endure extremely harsh conditions; they are detained and prevented from traveling or leaving their areas, effectively becoming hostages and slaves in their own homeland.

Minnawi held the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and its mercenaries responsible for obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid, despite the state having opened its doors to international and relief organizations to assist the Sudanese people. He pointed out that the militia exerts control over vast areas of the region, denying citizens freedom of movement and access to safe zones.

Minnawi stated that their position has been clear: the RSF militia and its affiliated entities—including foreign mercenaries—are the primary perpetrators of crimes and violations against the Sudanese people. He emphasized that resolving the crisis cannot be achieved by ignoring these facts or by equating the state with the militia.

Concluding the meeting, Minnawi expressed regret that the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was prevented from delivering Sudan’s address at this international forum, despite being authorized to represent the Sudanese state and its official institutions. He noted that the address was not merely a personal statement but the voice of Sudan and its people. He called for a review of such measures to ensure respect for Sudan’s sovereignty and its right to have its voice heard in international forums, and to allow the Sudanese people and their national institutions the space to articulate their issues and shape their future.

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