Sudanese rebel leader Minni Arko Minnawi has rejected a decision by General al-Burhan to integrate his movement, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), into the SAF, according to local media reports.
Sources told the Sudanese newspaper Al-Saiha that Minnawi, who heads the SLM faction aligned with the SAF, opposes the proposed integration, viewing it as an attempt by the military leadership to absorb his movement and push him out of political and military decision-making circles.
According to the sources, Minnawi believes the move is designed to weaken his influence despite the role his fighters have played in the ongoing conflict.
He reportedly said that his forces have been making sacrifices on the battlefield and fighting on behalf of the SAF against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while military leaders are simultaneously planning to sideline them.
“We know how the National Congress is planning to remove us from the scene, but that will not happen,” Minnawi was quoted as saying, referring to elements linked to the former ruling party of ousted president Omar al-Bashir.
The remarks come after SAF Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Yasser al-Atta recently announced that all armed movements allied with the army would soon be integrated into the SAF as part of a broader restructuring effort.
