Sudan: Burhan reshuffles officials, reinforces military control

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chief of the Sudanese army and de facto leader of Sudan, has reshuffled his staff in a move to adjust his grip on the military, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

On August 18th, Burhan appointed a group of new senior officers to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shortly announcing the retirement of several officers who had served for many years. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mohamed Othman al-Hussein, is being kept on.

Burhan has appointed a new inspector general and a new head of the air force.

Some of the officers who have retired have reached a certain level of fame over the course of the war.

Civil war broke out in Sudan in April of 2023 between Burhan’s military and the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces, who were the Sudan army’s former partners in power.

The Rapid Support Forces emerged through the militias that in the early 2000s were armed by the military to fight in Darfur. The group was then allowed to develop parallel structures and supply lines.

On July 26th, the RSF announced a parallel government to try and gain more international legitimacy, but this move was quickly denounced by the Sudanese army, and the UN Security Council and the African Union have refused to recognise the parallel government.

A separate decree from Burhan on August 17th brings all of the armed groups fighting on behalf of the Sudanese army under his control.

This includes former Darfur rebels, Islamist brigades, civilians who have joined in on the war effort, and tribal militias.

Politicians in Sudan have praised this decision from Burhan, stating that it will prevent alternative centres of power within the military, and could stop any forces similar to the RSF from forming in the future.

The reshuffle of senior officials and the new decree to consolidate Burhan’s power follow his meeting in Switzerland with Massad Boulos, the US Senior Advisor to Africa, on August 11th.

Their meeting was to discuss a proposal for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid, but days after, on August 14th, Burhan publicly ruled out the prospect of reconciling with the RSF.

Asharq Al-Awsat/Maghrebi