All Sudan’s armed groups will be merged into one national army: al-Burhan

March 20, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, Commander in Chief of the Sudanese Army reiterated on Sunday that all the armed groups will merge with the reformed national army at the end of the transition.

In his speech to the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) officers of the Khartoum North Military Region, al-Burhan spoke at length about reforming the armed forces and the need to rebuilding it on new foundations without favouring any component of the Sudanese people.

He said that these forces are the backbone around which all other political and social forces are organized and grow in Sudan.

“These forces are the safety valve of national unity,” and they must represent all components of the country on an equal basis, he said.

He further said that by the end of the transitional period, all the armed forces will be merged in line with the DDR process. So, some will reintegrate into the army, while others will join the other regular and security forces.

“We are seriously striving to complete this matter before the end of the transitional period and the formation of the unified Sudanese armed forces,” he stressed.

Al-Burhan underscored that a large part of the forces of the peace signatory groups will be absorbed according to the organizational requirements of the armed forces.

Also, he underlined that the DDR process would be based on the number of the population of every region based on the last population census of Sudan.

In addition, he said the continuation in the armed forces will be determined by the competence of the new recruits.

According to the Juba Peace Agreement in Sudan, all the forces of the armed movements will be integrated into the army and other security forces.

The absorbed officers from the armed groups will be formed at the military college before joining the regular army.

This process will include the controversial Rapid Support Forces.

Al-Burhan said the army must be dedicated to defending the country and the army must be deployed on the border areas.

He added that they have already started this process in order to end the military presence in the towns.

Al-Burhan called on the political forces to complete the formation of the transitional institutions pointing to the parliament and the constitutional court.

It is important to build up these institutions to show our seriousness to achieve the democratic transition in Sudan, he advocated.

(ST)