Sudan's Gen Al Burhan warns politicians against meddling in military affairs

Sudan’s military leader says he will not allow civilian politicians to “meddle” in the affairs of the armed forces and vowed to reject any attempts at military reform.

“It’s impossible, impossible for me to compromise on the military and the Sudanese army,” Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan told troops at the end of combat drills.

“Don’t listen to the politicians’ talk about reforming the army,” he said, using the English phrase “military reforms” in a contemptuous tone. “No one will be allowed to meddle in the army’s affairs.”

Gen Al Burhan’s comments, released on Wednesday night by his office, came less than two weeks after he signed a preliminary agreement with a major pro-democracy group — the Forces of Freedom and Change — that outlines steps to restore Sudan’s democratic transition that was upended when he seized power in a military coup last year.

The military has ruled Sudan for most of time since the vast Afro-Arab nation gained independence in 1956, with power-hungry generals toppling elected but dysfunctional governments. Adding to Sudan’s political woes have been ruinous civil wars in its outlying southern and western regions, a chronically ailing economy and the influx of millions of refugees from neighbouring countries.

The December 5 agreement, which has no timetable and lacks specifics on major issues, envisages a civilian prime minister who steers the country for 24 months until elections are held. It also provides for the military to quit politics and to have a civilian as supreme commander of the armed forces.

Since the agreement was signed Gen Al Burhan has been seeking to play down the significance of the deal, describing it as merely ideas and principles on which a final deal can be based to ease the country’s way out of its political crisis.

A final agreement, he contends, must involve all civilian stakeholders, a virtually impossible scenario given the complexity of Sudan’s political landscape. Already, some key players, such as the powerful pro-democracy Resistance Committees, a neighbourhood-based group, has rejected the agreement.

It wants the military to step aside unconditionally and be held accountable for the killing of more than 120 protesters since the coup on October 25 last year. At least 6,000 civilians were injured in the protests of the past 13 months, mostly organised by the Resistance Committees.

The Communist Party, Islamists loyal to the ousted regime of dictator Omar Al Bashir and the Association of Sudanese professions — another major pro-democracy group — have rejected the deal.

Al Bashir was ousted in April 2019 after 29 years in power.

“There is nothing called settlement at present, there are just some points that we in the military agreed to,” Gen Al Burhan said of the agreement.

“There are so many issues that can only be decided when an elected government is in office. We will not agree to or accept anything in the final agreement that will hurt or disrupt the armed forces.”