Sudan sacks security leaders , refers them to retirement

The head of the Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, has relieved at least 8 officers of the General Intelligence Service from service, according to two official sources quoted by Reuters news agency.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was placed under house arrest in an October 25 coup, appointed new police chief and deputy, a week after he struck a political agreement with the army chief.

A Sudanese source said that the army chief had referred dozens of security and intelligence leaders in Sudan to retirement. The source said that the change in the intelligence service affected some officers. Several officers at the ranks of major general and brigadier general were retired.

The head of the Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, had issued a decision relieving the head of the Military Intelligence, the director of the intelligence service, and other leaders of the security services. He also approved the exemption of the police chief and his deputy and replaced them with two other officers, based on the recommendation of Prime Minister Hamdok.

The Vice-President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed “Hemedti”, stressed that the military component in Sudan has no purpose in political power. He said, in exclusive statements to Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath, on Saturday, that relieving the military, security, and police leaders aims to determine responsibilities, noting that Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok must return to the regions and tribes to form his next government.

“We know that there is a plan to demonize the military component in Sudan,” he added. He stressed that the goal of the Sovereignty Council is to hold free and fair elections in Sudan.

The agency added that Al-Burhan pledged during the meeting to protect the transitional period “to reach free and fair elections,” stressing his support for the government of national competencies that is to be formed by Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok.