A Secret Document Reveals Burhan's Plan To Consolidate Military Rule For Five Years

The Liberal has obtained a confidential official document revealing the outlines of a political project being led by the Sudanese Armed Forces’ leadership to reshape the country’s political and constitutional landscape during the coming phase.

The document, which contains direct directives from the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, outlines a plan centered on governing Sudan through a military-led authority for five years, restructuring decision-making centers, limiting international initiatives, and relying on regional alliances to provide political and diplomatic cover for the project.

Issued by the Office of the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council on June 16, 2026, the document instructs officials to begin preparing a “Comprehensive Political and Strategic Vision for Sudan.” The plan calls for governing the country through a military administration consisting of a President of the Republic and a government of national technocrats for a five-year transitional period, to be followed by general elections. The proposal reflects a clear intention to consolidate the military establishment’s leadership role during the next phase.

The document also calls for a “Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue” involving national forces whose “hands are not stained with the blood of the Sudanese people,” while rejecting any outcomes resulting from conferences or initiatives held outside Sudan. Analysts believe this approach is intended to circumvent international and regional pressure for an inclusive political process by confining negotiations to a framework controlled by the military leadership.

The document further outlines the project’s economic and diplomatic vision by strengthening cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the Supreme Council for Coordination and Strategic Cooperation, expanding economic partnerships with Gulf states, and working to restore Sudan’s membership in the African Union in an effort to reduce international isolation and ease diplomatic restrictions. At the same time, it presents a post-war reconstruction strategy focused on rebuilding critical infrastructure and essential public facilities as a cornerstone for restoring stability.

These directions also help explain the declining role of the Peace Commission, which was established after 2019 to negotiate with armed movements and oversee the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement.

Recent developments indicate that responsibility for the peace file is gradually shifting from civilian institutions to sovereign and military bodies in Port Sudan, reflecting the army leadership’s determination to consolidate control over the peace process and manage it outside the institutional framework created during the transitional period.

At the same time, analysts argue that the requirement to exclude those whose “hands are stained with the blood of the Sudanese people” carries political implications beyond serving as a criterion for participation in dialogue. They believe it could be used to portray the military establishment and its leadership as the legitimate protector of the state while distancing them from allegations of human rights abuses and war crimes, thereby providing broader political space for the military to lead the next phase and reshape Sudan’s political order.

Regionally, Al-Burhan is seeking political backing for his project by strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia, which is regarded as one of the region’s most influential actors capable of providing political and economic support for the proposed administration, while also expanding cooperation with other Gulf states. Political assessments further suggest that Al-Burhan presented key elements of his plan during his recent visit to Turkey in an effort to secure additional political and military support from Ankara, thereby enhancing the prospects for implementing his domestic agenda.

Experts on Sudan broadly agree that the project is designed to achieve three principal objectives. The first is to secure Al-Burhan’s position and the military establishment’s continued leadership of the state while reasserting the army as the sole legitimate authority capable of governing Sudan during the coming period.

The second objective is to bypass international and United Nations-backed initiatives aimed at resuming Sudan’s civilian-led political transition by rejecting external negotiation platforms and restricting dialogue to inside Sudan. The third is to preserve the cohesion of military alliances, particularly with armed movements in Darfur, and prevent them from adopting independent positions that could influence post-war political arrangements or weaken the authority based in Port Sudan.

Experts conclude that the project reflects a clear effort to redesign Sudan’s political system in a manner that grants the military institution a central role in governing the country over the coming years while relying on regional support to provide political and diplomatic legitimacy for the proposed administration.

At the same time, analysts warn that these measures could further complicate efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement and prolong the conflict, particularly amid persistent internal divisions and the continued failure of international initiatives aimed at ending the war and returning Sudan to a civilian-led political transition.

Published on: Friday, July 10, 2026, 05:49 PM IST