Mohammed Amin
23 September 2023•Update: 23 September 2023
KHARTOUM, Sudan
The Head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met on Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said the talks with the Sudanese army chief in Ireland's Shannon airport dwelt on Russian support to illegal armed groups.
“I am grateful for Sudan's consistent support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Ukrainian president said on X platform.
“We discussed common security challenges, namely the activities of illegal armed groups financed by Russia,” he added.
Sudan’s Sovereign Council confirmed the meeting but provided no details about its content.
Sudan has been wired by clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group since April, in a conflict that killed thousands of people, according to local medics.
More than 5.25 million people have been displaced by the conflict, including 4.1 million within Sudan and 1.1 million in neighboring countries, according to UN figures.
Western diplomats and media have claimed Russian support for the RSF amid reports that the Russian mercenary group Wagner was operating in Sudan. Russia has used the Wagner militia during last year’s invasion of Ukraine.
Media reports also emerged about Ukrainian military support to the Sudanese army. The claims, however, were denied by both the Sudanese army and the RSF.
