Sudan’s military leader, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has overhauled top intelligence positions, dismissing at least eight general intelligence officers and replacing the head of military intelligence
The decision by Sovereign Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan comes a week after he struck a deal to reinstate Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who had been placed under house arrest in Oct. 25 coup.
According to two official sources, out of the officers dismissed, five were in senior positions and had been in place since before the 2019 overthrow of long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir, On Saturday, Burhan also replaced the head of the general intelligence service
It was not immediately clear what impact the decisions could have on the balance of power following Hamdok’s return. Hamdok replaced the country’s top two police officials on Saturday, following deadly violence against anti-military protesters in recent weeks.
The military had been sharing power with civilian groups before coup that took part in an uprising against Bashir. Many within those groups have opposed the deal between Burhan and Hamdok, saying they want the army to exit politics.
One condition of the deal was that political prisoners arrested since the coup should be freed. Some have been released but others remain in detention.
The United States, Britain and Norway, which lead Western foreign policy on Sudan, called for the release of all those imprisoned for their political beliefs across Sudan.
They said in a statement, “These are necessary steps to rebuild trust and return Sudan to the path of freedom and democracy,”
