Sudan's Burhan Pledges Temporary Immunity for National Dialogue, Rules Out Hemedti's Return

August 15, 2026 — Speaking at celebrations marking the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Sovereignty Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan pledged temporary immunity and legal, political and security guarantees for participants in a proposed Sudanese national dialogue, saying criminal proceedings against participants would be temporarily suspended (without constituting a pardon) and that statements made during the sessions could not be used for prosecution. Burhan said the dialogue initiative was proposed independently by a group of Sudanese figures and that the state would not organize the process or dictate its agenda. He firmly ruled out any political comeback for RSF leader Mohamed 'Hemedti' Hamdan Dagalo, calling that path an 'incomplete peace,' and said the army would engage with serious peace initiatives only after RSF forces withdraw from cities they hold and displaced people return home.