The Face of Truth: Glory to the Rifles… Not to the Suits
Ibrahim Shglawi
The era of glory for the suits has ended; from now on, glory belongs only to the rifles. This is how General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan introduced a phrase that will likely stand as the title of a new phase of political and military awareness in Sudan — a phase in which concepts are being recalibrated, the rightful representatives of the people are being redefined, sovereignty is being defended, and the state is being rebuilt after nearly collapsing due to conspiracies against its unity, internal conflict over its resources, and the vulnerability of its political leadership in the face of regional and international ambitions.
During his address to the opening session of the Civil Service Conference organized by the Ministry of Labour and Administrative Reform two days ago, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, raised several important issues. He emphasized that the phrase “glory to the rifle” is not merely a reaction to public debates on Sudan’s political transformations, but a reaffirmation that the revolution, known for initiating change in 2019, has dragged the country into chaos and partisan conflicts.
Despite the aspirations it once held, the revolution brought Sudan to the brink of collapse, making it a hostage to domestic and foreign actors who view Sudan’s stability as a threat to their strategic interests. These actors were the driving force behind the militias that ignited the war in mid-April 2023. As chaos escalated, the Sudanese Armed Forces stood as the final line of defense against this grave threat, preserving national sovereignty and security.
The Sudanese army, which endured significant provocation following the fall of the Bashir regime, has now become the central force protecting the state from disintegration. It was the army that regained control of Khartoum, Al-Jazira State, and several other Sudanese cities after fierce battles with the Rapid Support Forces militias that sought to dominate the country. This is where Burhan’s emphasis on the rifle becomes crucial — the weapon that restored order after internal strife and militia-led destruction had shaken the foundations of the state.
Despite ongoing campaigns about the suspicious roles of certain political figures — referred to by Burhan as “the Islamists” — the affirmation that the army “knows no partisanship or narrow affiliations” highlights the unity of the Sudanese Armed Forces, which are fighting for the country, free from political or ethnic loyalties. This is a fundamental point in Burhan’s speech: the military remains committed to national values and citizenship, beyond party lines.
Burhan’s reference to the need to “review civil service laws” aligns with the broader vision he has previously outlined — that the coming phase requires deep institutional reforms to stabilize the country. In his speech, he described the arbitrary appointments in government institutions as “nepotistic favors,” reflecting the weaknesses of the post-revolutionary period, which, instead of steering the country toward stability, led it deeper into fragmentation due to the absence of sound governance.
Amid these complex transformations, the pressing question remains: Can the rifle truly build a glorious future for Sudan? Despite concerns over a shift toward purely military rule, many analyses suggest that the Sudanese rifle is currently the guarantor of the nation’s unity and protection from division and chaos. The Sudanese people have made peace and security their top priority. This is especially true in the current phase governed by the amended Constitutional Charter of 2025, which clearly states that the transition will be led by a technocratic executive government composed of independent national experts, capable of guiding this critical phase with a spirit of national responsibility. Afterward, over a 39-month period, the country will prepare for genuine elections in which the Sudanese people will freely choose their leaders.
The implications of this were not far from Burhan’s visit to Cairo, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. There appeared to be shifts toward a political approach that may reintegrate militia backers into the scene. Egyptian MP and member of the African Affairs Committee, Nevin Hamdy, said in a statement to Al-Ahram following the visit that Egypt had presented a comprehensive proposal for resolving the Sudanese issue. According to observers, a quiet agreement may have been reached, despite Egypt’s public support for the unity of Sudanese state institutions and its stated interest in restoring peace and security for the Sudanese people.
In this context, Burhan’s speech seems to be an indirect response to these proposals. It contains smart signals in several directions and clarifies that official Khartoum will not engage with any initiatives that disregard the sacrifices of the army and the people, or seek to repackage chaos under the guise of a settlement.
From what we see in #The_Face_of_Truth, we can say that Burhan’s speech was not merely a denunciation of a past era, but a declaration of its end — an era that brought only war and destruction — and the beginning of a new phase to be built by the real actors: those who stood firm when the frontlines collapsed, who did not trade their rifles for hollow slogans, and who did not sell the country’s sovereignty in the marketplace of treacherous international alignments. In this new Sudan, glory belongs to the rifles that liberated — not to the suits that betrayed.
Wishing you well and in good health.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com