Leader of Sudan appeals to military to support democratic transition

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan called on troops Sunday to "end" support for authoritarian leaders as talks begin on military reforms. The proposed reforms include the integration into the regular army of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Burhan's deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Critics have decried the deal, agreed by Burhan with multiple factions including a key civilian bloc, as "vague". The December deal came after near-weekly protests since Burhan's October 2021 takeover, which had also triggered international aid cuts. Daglo, the RSF commander also known as Hemeti, said earlier this month he was against "anyone who wants to become a dictator", and that he opposed those "clinging on to power". He said the latest coup had "failed" because it had not brought change but rather the return of the "old regime" of Bashir loyalists.