STORY: Sudanese army chief vows to support people's legitimate right in pursuing democracy
DATELINE: Aug. 15, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:04
LOCATION: Khartoum
CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. logo of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)
2. promo of the celebrations of the SAF's 69th anniversary
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces
4. promo of the celebrations of the SAF's 69th anniversary
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces
6. promo of the celebrations of the SAF's 69th anniversary
 
STORYLINE:
 
General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Monday vowed that the SAF will stand with the Sudanese people and support their legitimate right to establish a state where the law, democracy, and institutions prevail.
 
He made the remarks on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the SAF's establishment.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces
"We stress to you and to the entire world that the armed forces will remain the same as it used to be throughout its history, which is close to a hundred years, and that we will remain professional forces that stand with the choices of our great people and their legitimate right to a state of law, democracy, and institutions."
 
In his speech, the Sudanese army chief also pledged to "reach a political formula that is strong, fair and acceptable to the people and leads the country to elections in which the people choose who to rule."
 
Al-Burhan accused the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of spreading chaos and creating political tensions.
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces
"Hemedti (Commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo) and his aides have led the biggest phenomenon that is based on misleading, lying, deception, falsifying of facts and buying off people, in the history of this country."
 
"The militia sought to bring back the country to the eras before the modern state and to establish its own kingdom on the ruins and remains of the country," he said.
 
Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF in the capital Khartoum and other areas since April 15, which have resulted in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Khartoum.
(XHTV)