The leader of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has said his troops “have a strong presence in the capital” and “will fight on to the last soldier” as the brutal power struggle between the paramilitary group and the army is about to enter its fifth month.

In an audio message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo repeated his accusation that the military had instigated the war to enable allies of ousted President Omar al-Bashir to regain power.

The message is a shift from his statement on 27 August when the RSF commander, who is more commonly known as Hemedti, called for a negotiated settlement and outlined plans for the restoration of a civilian-led government.

This was rejected by his rival, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has repeatedly said that the army will defeat RSF.

Gen Burhan has made several public appearances, including two foreign visits to South Sudan and Egypt since late August, suggesting that the military has an upper hand.

The military-led government has repeatedly asked the international community to designate the RSF, its former ally, a “terrorist organisation”.

Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a recent meeting between an RSF official and African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki in Ethiopia was a “dangerous precedent”.