Al-Burhan and the Media .. A Step Forward
By / Ethar Omar Abdelhamid
At pivotal moments in the history of nations, the significance of political addresses is not measured only by what they say in the moment, but by the questions they raise and the responsibilities they place before the state and society
Sudan is today at one of the most complex and sensitive stages of its modern history, a war has left profound consequences for its people, state institutions, economy and social fabric, while military gains have placed the country before an even greater challenge: how to turn the end of the battle into the beginning of state building, and how to transform sacrifice into a national project capable of restoring security, stability, dignity and a sense of normal life
Against this backdrop, the address delivered by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander in Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, to journalists and media professionals carries significance that extends well beyond the meeting itself
The issue is not only what was said, but also the opening of a direct space between the political and military leadership and the media at a time when Sudan needs greater clarity, access to information and meaningful dialogue
Perhaps the most important value of such an engagement is that it places the authorities before a professional audience whose fundamental responsibility is to ask questions, seek details, examine facts, compare words with actions and convey developments to the public without becoming a party to the conflict
This is precisely what makes openness to the media an opportunity for the state as much as it is an opportunity for journalism
The state needs a media that communicates its vision and explains its policies, but it also needs journalists who ask about the outcomes of those policies, scrutinise institutional performance and convey citizens’ concerns as they are, without embellishment or exaggeration
War naturally produces a discourse centred on survival, confrontation and victory, but the state cannot remain permanently confined to the language of war once the country begins moving into the post war phase
Military victory, regardless of its significance, is not the end of the national struggle
Sudan now faces another and more complex battle, rebuilding the economy, restoring institutions, reconstructing infrastructure, restoring essential services, addressing the consequences of displacement and loss, reopening schools and hospitals, reviving production, creating employment and rebuilding trust between citizens and the state
The question therefore becomes broader than the question of war itself
What kind of Sudan do we want to build after the war
This question should remain at the centre of political and media discourse in the coming phase
Citizens who endured the war do not want merely to hear about the recovery of cities, they want to see its impact on their daily lives
They want greater price stability, functioning public services, their children returning to school, productive sectors recovering, roads reopening, state institutions functioning again and a sense that the future is safer and more secure than the past
In periods of major transition, the media becomes part of the process of rebuilding the state, not by becoming a mouthpiece for the authorities, nor by turning into a platform for the opposition, but by reclaiming its fundamental role in scrutiny, verification, analysis and the creation of public awareness
For this reason, direct engagement between officials and journalists should not remain exceptional occasions
What is needed is a new institutional culture based on regular communication, access to information, press conferences, open questions, clear responses and access to documents and data that enable journalists to perform their professional duties
Transparency does not mean that the state must disclose matters related to national security or sensitive sovereign interests
It does mean that citizens should have access to information they are entitled to know, journalists should have the information necessary to perform their work and there should be genuine space for questions and criticism
A state seeking to build public trust should not fear difficult questions
On the contrary, difficult questions can provide an opportunity to clarify positions, correct information, establish facts and rebuild bridges of trust
The coming phase therefore requires a broader space for media and political dialogue, one that does not accommodate only supportive voices, but also allows room for different and critical perspectives within professional standards that respect the state and society’s right to know
Disagreement is not necessarily hostility, and criticism is not necessarily opposition
For a society emerging from a war of such magnitude, managing differences through dialogue can become one of the most important foundations for building peace
The economy is the real test
Talk of an economic battle cannot remain a slogan, because the economy is where citizens encounter the consequences of political decisions most directly
If the war has depleted state resources, weakened production, increased the cost of living and expanded the scale of needs, then the post war phase requires a different economic vision based on production, investment and partnerships rather than temporary measures alone
This is where the private sector, business leaders, experts, economists, Sudanese abroad and national initiatives can play an important role in rebuilding the economy
But this requires a clear and credible environment based on stable laws, effective institutions, transparency, combating corruption, protecting investment and clearly defining national priorities
An economy is not managed through resources alone, it is built on confidence
Perhaps the real value of Al Burhan’s address will ultimately be determined by what follows it
Will it mark the beginning of more regular engagement with the media
Will the issues raised be opened to wider public discussion
Will the questions and concerns addressed become policies and programmes
Will the media be able to follow up on the implementation of government commitments
And will the relationship between the authorities and the press become more open and professional
These are the questions that deserve to remain at the forefront of the national conversation
Political statements, however candid, are not enough on their own to build trust
Trust is built when citizens see words translated into action, decisions producing results, institutions functioning effectively and public officials being accountable for what they have promised
It may be easy to celebrate a moment of victory, but building peace and rebuilding a state are far more difficult than winning a battle
Sudan now needs to move from managing war to managing the state, from the language of mobilisation to the language of reconstruction, from reclaiming territory to restoring the human being, from securing the battlefield to securing the economy and from the end of military confrontation to the beginning of a broader national project
In this process, the media can become one of the most important bridges between the state and society
If journalism succeeds in remaining professional, independent and responsible, and if the state succeeds in viewing the media as a partner in building public awareness rather than as a political adversary, the engagement that began with this meeting could develop into a more meaningful and influential process
Ultimately, the value of any official address does not lie in the emotion of the moment, the scale of public reaction or the number of headlines it generates
Its real value begins the following day, when words become actions, questions become policies, military gains become the foundation for a functioning state and sacrifice becomes the basis for a future worthy of the Sudanese people
In conclusion, Al Burhan’s meeting with journalists and media professionals remains an important event in Sudan’s current political and media landscape, not only because of the issues discussed, but because it opened a direct space for dialogue between the leadership and the media
The more important step now is to build on this engagement in a way that strengthens transparency and gives journalism greater space to fulfil its role in informing the public, asking questions and following up on what is said on the ground .