KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese army said Saturday it is committed to Sudan’s political process that leads to civilian rule in the country.

In a brief statement, the army said it will not be “a lever for any entity, party or group to seize power."

“The Sudanese Armed Forces are committed to the political process that leads to the establishment of a civilian authority,” the statement added.

The military statement came amid ongoing clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that left at least 512 people dead and over 4,000 injured since April 15, according to the Health Ministry.

Earlier Saturday, the army said that it had thwarted attempts by the RSF to seize power in Sudan.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the paramilitaries over military security reform. The reform envisages full RSF participation in the military, one of the main issues in negotiations by international and regional parties for a transition to civilian, democratic rule in Sudan.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019, was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara