Top general says Burhan removed political elements in the army to avoid coup

KHARTOUM – Commander of Land Forces in the Sudanese army Issam Karar said the military command has purged political elements to prevent military coups orchestrated by political parties.

On February 14th, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Commander in Chief of the Sudanese army dismissed hundreds of military officers from the army.

In an interview with Al-Hilal TV on February 15, Lt Gen Karar said there was a campaign by the political forces to tarnish the image of the Sudanese army and portray them as against democratic change in Sudan.

He added that all the coup d’état of 1958, 1969 and 1989 were in fact organised by political forces through their political cells in the army.

The Sudanese military further said that calls after the December revolution to restructure the army on new bases, mean to remove elements of the former regime from the armed forces and to include patriotic elements.

“The army should be Sudan’s army as the protesters shout in the demonstrations,” he said.

“The armed forces should not be politically affiliated and that is what we are working to implement within the army and we have come a long way,” he stressed.

On Monday, Sudanese army spokesman Colonel Nabil Abdallah did not determine the number or the rank of retired officers.

“These measures are part of the regular procedures that are carried out in accordance with the laws and regulations of the armed forces annually to maintain the hierarchy of the army,” he said.

However, the lists of the dismissed officers seen by Sudan Tribune, show that most of them are lieutenants, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels.

Coups and coup attempts are always carried out by junior officers charged with commanding the troops.

Chairman of the Sovereign Council and Army Commander in Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan reiterated that the armed forces extend their hands to all political forces to achieve national reconciliation and to hold free and fair elections.

Also, al-Burhan repeated that the armed forces will only hand over power to an elected government or by national consensus.