Who is the new head of Sudan’s transitional military council?

In his announcement on Friday that he will be stepping down as head of the country’s transitional military council, Sudan’s Defense Minister Awad Ibn Auf named Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan as the new head of the council.

Al-Burhan’s name was among others nominated to lead the transitional council, and to announce the ousting of former President al-Bashir.

Contrary to his predecessor Ibn Auf, Lieutenant General al-Burhan enjoys popular support.

His last post was the inspector general of the Sudanese armed forces, and its third most senior general.

He was also the head of Sudan’s ground forces, a role in which he oversaw Sudanese troops’ role within the Arab Coalition, which is supporting the Yemeni legitimate government against the pro-Iranian Houthi militias.

Lieutenant General al-Burhan’s name was circulated in the media in the last couple of months, and was among others mentioned in a presidential decree by former President al-Bashir last February which included appointments and amendments in the military.

Witnesses say al-Burhan was seen among protesters who were staging a sit-in outside the ministry of defense on Friday, where a photo of him with Ibrahim al-Sheikh, the former head of the Sudanese Congress Party was widely circulated on social media.