Sudan’s Burhan pledges democratic transition on uprising anniversary
April 6, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s army chief and head of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said on Monday the military remains committed to completing the democratic transition and handing over power to the Sudanese people.
Burhan appeared in a recorded speech marking the seventh anniversary of the 2019 mass sit-in outside the army headquarters, which led to the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir.
The military leader, filmed at various locations within and outside the army command, highlighted the military’s historical role in responding to popular uprisings. He cited the April 1985 revolution that overthrew Jaafar Nimeiri and the April 2019 events that ended Bashir’s three-decade rule.
Burhan described the army as an “authentic partner” to the people in the “battle of dignity”, referring to the ongoing war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and in the journey toward democratic transformation.
He emphasized that the military is committed to reaching a democratic transition where the Sudanese people can choose their preferred form of government.
“This is an occasion to renew our pledge to the Sudanese people that we are their sons and partners,” Burhan said. “We will move forward with them to complete the journey we began in 2019 and before that in 1985, building Sudan and its democracy so the people can govern themselves as they see fit.”
The army chief noted that the Sudanese people stood with the military in 1985 and 2019 and have repeated this unity during the war against the “rebels” that began in April 2023.
He added that the Sudanese people would prevail and would not accept humiliation or stand idle against those who act with arrogance and tyranny.
The April 2019 sit-in outside the General Command ended on April 11 with Bashir’s removal. However, the site was later the scene of a bloody crackdown on June 3, 2019, which left dozens of protesters dead and wounded.
An investigation committee led by Nabil Adib, formed by the transitional government of former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, failed to release findings on those responsible for the dispersal before Burhan’s coup on October 25, 2021.