General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has announced a major reorganization of the military leadership at a pivotal time in the civil war that has pitted the regular army against the forces of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, for over a year.
A New Balance of Power
On August 18, Burhan appointed General Mutasim Abbas al Tom Ahmed as the new inspector general of the SAF, a position that had been vacant since 2023 when the previous holder was captured and killed by the RSF. Concurrently, the chief of staff has promoted and retired numerous high-ranking officers, including the commander of the Air Force Al Tahir Mohamed Al Awad al Amin, who had been sanctioned by the European Union for indiscriminate bombings on civilian areas. A new head of the Air Force and a new leader for air defense have been appointed.
Several outgoing generals had historic ties with Islamist movements, especially with the National Congress Party (NCP) of former dictator Omar al Bashir and the militias associated with it. Despite the formal dissolution of the NCP after the 2019 revolution, its affiliates have regained weight during the conflict, contributing to the defense of Khartoum against the sieges of the RSF.
The Role of Islamist Militias
A separate decree issued on 17 August placed all other forces fighting alongside the army directly under Burhan’s command: former rebels from Darfur, Islamic brigades, tribal militias, and armed civilians. Among these stands out the Al Baraa Bin Malik brigade, which according to local sources, has about 20,000 fighters.
The Challenge of the Parallel Government
On the opposite front, on 26 July, the RSF announced the formation of a “Government of Peace and Unity” in the territories they control, mainly in western Sudan. Hemedti took the helm of a 15-member presidential council, while former negotiator Mohamed Hassan al Taishi was appointed prime minister.
The move, planned as early as April and formalized in July, has been firmly rejected by the UN Security Council, which called it a direct threat to Sudan’s territorial integrity. The SAF-backed government in Khartoum has labeled it illegitimate, with Foreign Minister Ali Youssef describing the RSF as a “terrorist militia”.
Dialogue with the United States
In parallel with domestic maneuvers, Burhan met on 15 August in Geneva with the American special envoy Massad Boulos, senior advisor for Africa. The conversation focused on a possible ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors, following accusations against the RSF of targeting civilians and refugee camps in northern Darfur. Washington reiterated sanctions against Hemedti and his militia.
