Sudan police, intel chiefs sacked after protest carnage

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has issued a directive relieving the Director General of Sudan’s police, as well as his deputy, from their positions with immediate effect. The Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan has similarly relieved the Director of Military Intelligence, and the Director of General Intelligence from their positions.

The decision follow the excessively violent response by the police and intelligence services, using live ammunition and tear gas, against the Marches of the Millions and an ongoing campaign of civil disobedience following the coup d’état of October 25, which has left at least 42 dead and hundreds injured.

On Saturday, PM Hamdok relieved the Director General of the Police Forces, Gen Khalid Mahdi Ibrahim, and the Deputy Director General of the Police Forces, Lt Gen El Sadig Ali Ibrahim, from their posts, the official Sudan News Agency confirms. The PM’s directive also appoints Lt Gen Annan Hamid Omar as Director General of the Police Forces, and Maj Gen. Mudasir Abdelrahman Nasreldin as Deputy Director General and Inspector General of the Police Forces in their stead.

The decision directed the Ministries of Cabinet Affairs, Interior, Finance and Economic Planning and Labour and Administrative Reform and other concerned bodies to take the necessary procedures for its implementation.

The Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan has dismissed the Director of Military Intelligence, Yasir Mohamed Osman, and the Director of General Intelligence, Jamal Abdelmajeed, from their positions.

This shake-up comes just hours after several high-profile detainees were released, and the political detainees in Sennar embarked an open hunger strike on Tuesday.

It also follows statements by Hamdok following his reinstatement and the signing of a political agreement in Khartoum on November 21 with El Burhan, in which he ordered all political detainees released, and issued a directive suspending all the transfers of public employees that took place following October 25 in all government units on state and national levels. The directive also limits the transfer of authority at federal and state levels to the Transitional Council of Ministers, until further notice.

Hamdok issued a directive to immediately suspend dismissal and appointments to the civil service in all government units at the national and state levels until further notice. He also directed that appointments and dismissals made during the past period be subject to study, evaluation, and review. He said that he will take time to implement the appointment review order, and called on parties “not to politicise the public service”.