Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, has officially dissolved the controversial Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and abolished the RSF Law of 2017.

This decision comes after the Sudanese Foreign Ministry's earlier announcement, just two days after the outbreak of the conflict on April 17, categorizing the RSF as a rebel force and taking measures such as suspending the salaries of its troops.

The Sovereignty Council released two statements confirming Al-Burhan's constitutional decrees, instructing the General Command of the Armed Forces, the General Secretariat of the Sovereign Council, and other relevant bodies to implement these decisions.

The RSF, long operating under the legitimacy granted by a 2017 law enacted during the tenure of ousted President Omar al-Bashir, was tasked with supporting the Sudanese army while reporting directly to the President of the Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the army.

However, in July 2019, following the fall of the Bashir regime, substantial amendments were made to the law by the Transitional Military Council led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, effectively making the RSF an independent force separate from the army by removing Article 5 that classified it under the Armed Forces Law.

The Sovereign Council has accused the RSF of rebelling against the state, committing severe human rights violations against civilians, and deliberately damaging the country's infrastructure. These actions were deemed in violation of the principles outlined in the 2017 RSF Law.

The decision to dissolve the RSF coincides with individual sanctions imposed by the U.S. administration against the RSF's second-in-command, a response to the human rights violations and crimes committed by the force against civilians during the ongoing conflict.

In response to these moves, the RSF has contested Al-Burhan's authority to disband the force, claiming that he himself had breached the law and was now exceeding his legal jurisdiction.

The RSF forces have been engaged in hostilities against the Sudanese army in Khartoum and various regions, including Darfur and Kordofan. (ILKHA)