KHARTOUM, Sudan
The Sudanese information and culture minister accused Western media of twisting facts regarding the ongoing civil war in Sudan, accusing it of backing the Rapid Support Forces’ narrative.
Sudan was plunged into conflict in April 2023 as longstanding tensions between the army and paramilitary RSF erupted into war.
Since then, millions have had to flee their homes, thousands have been killed, and countless others are going hungry in the Northeast African country.
Speaking to Anadolu, Khalid Alesir said the Western media accuses the Sudanese army of bombing the civilians, describing these accusations as “unjustified.”
“Ask the Sudanese people, do they think that the army targets them … the answer will be the Sudanese army does not target the civilians,” Aleisir said.
He added that the RSF militias are the ones who “target the civilians, abuse, rape, loot and kick them out of their homes,” stressing that the Sudanese army is protecting the people fleeing the areas under RSF control.
The minister said there are Sudanese political groups that were supported by the Western countries, which “hijacked the people’s revolution,” referring to the groups that back the RSF, most notably the Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces, known as Tagadum.
He accused the RSF of targeting Sudanese media institutions in its efforts to seize power, adding that the attacks negatively affected their performance in the past.
“But we are in the process of building new [media] institutions,” Aleisir said, stressing that losses in the information sector are estimated to be in millions of US dollars.
Türkiye’s mediation between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi
The Sudanese minister said Turkish mediation between the Sudanese government and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims at ending the war.
On Dec. 13, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, that Türkiye can also step in to resolve tensions between Sudan and the Gulf country.
Abu Dhabi welcomed Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the crisis, and expressed its readiness to cooperate and coordinate with Ankara in this regard.
In April, Sudan filed a formal complaint against the UAE with the UN Security Council, accusing it of aggression against the country’s sovereignty. The UAE denied the accusation, asserting its commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“Sudan welcomes all initiatives that seek to stop killing the Sudanese people and to put an end to those providing arms to the militia (RSF),” Aleisir said.
He said Türkiye had “an important and pivotal role” in the past years in terms of cooperation with Sudan in the fields of politics, economy and security.
“There must be strategic partnerships with the countries that supported Sudan in its cause, including Türkiye which stood with us at all levels,” the minister asserted.
