The Sudanese Foreign Ministry on Saturday called on the U.S. government to "correct" its position towards the current Sudanese crisis and not to equate the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with the "terrorist militia."

In a statement, the ministry criticized a social media post from U.S. Ambassador in Khartoum John Godfrey, in which he called the two warring parties, namely the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), "the belligerents" in Sudan, and said neither was fit to rule.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects the U.S. ambassador and the government of his country to correct this unbalanced and faulty position," the statement said.

The ministry further said the U.S. ambassador should refrain from statements that contradict diplomatic norms and do not help in bringing Sudan out of its crisis.

In a social media post on Friday, Godfrey called for "the belligerents" in Sudan to transfer power to a civilian transitional government.

"A future built by the Sudanese people can only happen when civilians' security is restored. The belligerents, who have demonstrated they are not fit to govern, must end the conflict and transfer power to a civilian transitional government," the U.S. diplomat posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the RSF have been taking place in Khartoum and other areas since April 15. Over 3,000 people have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.

The UN estimates that more than 4 million people have been displaced from their homes, with 3.2 million facing internal displacement and close to 900,000 seeking refuge across borders in countries including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.

(Cover: Smoke billows in the distance north of the Khartoum Bahri district, Sudan, July 17, 2023. /CFP)