Khaled Omar: Al Burhan Prioritizes the Islamic Movement’s Desires Over the People 

Khaled Omar Youssef, a leader in the Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Sumoud), criticized the speech of Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Movement’s Army, asserting that its contents “were not surprising,” as Al-Burhan, at particularly crucial junctures, consistently chooses to “prioritize the Islamic Movement’s desires over the demands of the majority of the Sudanese people.” 

In a Facebook post, Youssef stated that Al-Burhan’s past actions, from the dispersal of the sit-in in front of the Military’s General Command HQ, to the October 25th Coup, and his preference for war over a political solution, only serve to confirm Al-Burhan’s intransigent rejection of the peace process and his intentional efforts to “prolong the suffering of millions of Sudanese.” 

Furthermore, the leader in (Sumoud) went on to criticize Al-Burhan’s denial of the presence of Islamist elements within the military establishment, arguing that his statement “ignores well-established facts.” He pointed out that the front rows at Al-Burhan’s recent event “included a number of leaders affiliated with the Islamic Movement.” 

Youssef added that Al-Burhan had pledged during previous meetings with international officials, including the US President’s Senior Advisor for African Affairs, Massad Boulos, to take measures to remove the Islamists from the Military, and had indeed issued a limited number of decisions to refer a number of officers in the military establishment to retirement. Nevertheless, according to Khaled, “their infiltration of State institutions continues.” 

Youssef criticized Al-Burhan’s political messages regarding who governs the country, considering them “inconsistent with the reality of his forceful seizure of power.” He stated that the priority for Sudanese people is achieving peace, the return of displaced persons to their homes, and securing their basic needs, adding that “the people will choose the system of government they want when the country recovers.” 

Additionally, Youssef explained that Al-Burhan’s speech “cleared any ambiguity” regarding his position on the initiative proposed by the Quad, which, according to Youssef, calls for an end to foreign interference, the unification of the army into a professional, national institution separate from politics, a transition to civilian rule, and preventing the return of the former regime. He emphasized that the only entity rejecting this path is “the Islamic Movement and those affiliated with it.” The leader in (Sumoud) added that Al-Burhan “chose to side” with this direction, whilst he and his allies continue to adhere to the “path of the December revolution” built on peace, freedom and justice for all Sudanese.