Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has carried out a sweeping military reshuffle that further strengthens his control over the armed forces as the devastating civil war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) grinds on. The shake-up, announced over the weekend, underscores Burhan’s determination to consolidate power in central and eastern regions while heavy battles rage in the west.
The conflict, now in its second year, has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The RSF, once close partners with the army, broke ranks in April 2023 when disputes over plans to integrate their forces erupted into full-scale war. Since then, Sudan has been plunged deeper into turmoil, with millions displaced and tens of thousands killed.
Burhan, Sudan’s internationally recognised head of state, appointed a new inspector general and a new head of the air force while retaining General Mohamed Othman al-Hussein as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. These changes came just a day after the retirement of several long-serving officers, some of whom had become household names during the conflict.
Another decree by Burhan on Sunday ordered all armed groups aligned with the army, ranging from former Darfur rebels and Islamist brigades to tribal militias and civilians who have joined the fight, to be placed directly under his command. Sudanese politicians welcomed the move, saying it would prevent the emergence of rival power centres within the military and reduce the risk of new parallel forces like the RSF.
The RSF itself traces its origins back to Arab militias armed by the government in the early 2000s during the Darfur conflict. Over time, it was allowed to build its supply networks and structures, ultimately transforming into a formidable paramilitary force that now threatens the very institution that created it.
The reshuffle comes shortly after Burhan’s meeting in Switzerland with U.S. senior Africa adviser Massad Boulos, where talks included the stalled transition to civilian rule. That political roadmap remains elusive as the violence continues to escalate, particularly in the western Darfur city of al-Fashir, where fierce battles have intensified after the army forced RSF fighters out of central Sudan, including Khartoum.
Rights Groups Urge U.N. to Extend Sudan Atrocities Investigation
On Monday, nearly 100 Sudanese and international organizations issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for the extension of the mandate of its Sudan fact-finding mission at the council’s upcoming September session. The groups also called for the mission’s reports to be referred to the U.N. Security Council, with a recommendation to expand the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction to cover the entirety of Sudan.
“As the war continues unabated… Sudan stands on the brink of collapse, portending disastrous consequences for civilians,” the joint statement declared. Prominent human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Darfur Bar Association, signed the appeal.
The groups accused both the army and the RSF of a “complete disregard for international humanitarian law,” documenting a harrowing pattern of abuses such as targeted attacks on civilians, mass killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and widespread sexual violence, particularly against women and girls.
The U.N. mission, created in October 2023, has continued to operate despite Sudan’s refusal to grant investigators access to the country. By conducting remote interviews, verifying videos, and compiling case files, the mission has managed to build a growing body of evidence implicating individuals and groups in war crimes and atrocities.
As calls for accountability mount, Burhan’s new appointments highlight his determination to assert authority in the face of an entrenched conflict that shows no signs of abating. For millions of Sudanese trapped between rival forces, however, the reshuffle may do little to ease the suffering inflicted by a war that has already torn the nation apart.
READ ALSO: Qatari Prime Minister, Egyptian President Discuss Efforts To Reach Gaza Ceasefire
