Sudanese army denies contacts between al-Burhan and Islamist leader
October 31, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese army dismissed statements by an Islamist leader about contacts with General Abdel Fattah al -Burhan regarding the political situation in the country after his coup d’état.
“I called him and he said that nothing had been signed (with the Forces for Freedom and Change). He added that there was a big disagreement on two fundamental issues,” wrote Mohamed Ali al-Jizouli a leader of a radical Islamist group in a post on his Facebook page on October 27.
In response, the office of the Sudanese army spokesman issued a statement denying direct or indirect contact between al-Burhan and El-Jizouli.
“Therefore, the whole statement of Mohamed Ali el-Jazouli is unfounded,” concluded the military spokesman. He further underscored the army’s commitment to withdraw from politics once an agreement is reached by the political forces on the transitional government.
Recently, there were several reports about meetings between al-Burhan and Islamist leaders as the former faces internal and external pressures to hand over power back to a civilian government.
Al-Burhan, after the coup, released several Islamist leaders including el-Jizouli and restored their properties and charitable groups. Also, he reinstated the Islamist elements to the civil service.
The Sudanese Islamists seek to exert pressure on al-Burhan to prevent him from concluding any deal to restore a civilian-led transitional government with the FFC.
The organizers of the October 29, rally outside the UNITAMS headquarters now call for another demonstration on November 12.
Al-Jizouli in his post of October 27, said they have set a strategy aiming at preventing such a deal.
“As political forces that reject any bilateral settlement, our strategic task is to make the cost of any bilateral settlement very high. The shortest way to prevent it from happening is to increase its cost, expand and deepen the risks, and this is what we are working on,” he asserted.
(ST)