Sudanese SAF junta has reportedly foiled a coup plan in its final stages led by retired officers and a faction linked to the dissolved National Congress Party, local outlets said. The alleged plot capitalized on tensions after recent SAF promotions and retirements.
Sources said Ahmed Haroun, the NCP’s acting chief, was detained on suspicion of involvement, reigniting internal rifts within the movement that deepened after Omar al-Bashir’s ouster.
Separately, authorities arrested Maj. Gen. Abdel-Baqi Bakrawi early Tuesday. His detention came two days after decisions retiring several officers, including former Armored Corps commander Lt. Gen. Nasr al-Din Abdel Fattah, who faced coup charges in 2021. SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had already ordered Bakrawi and associated officers into retirement in what analysts called an internal reset amid friction between the military and Islamist currents.
Journalist Mohamed al-Mabrouk said swaths of Islamist activists blamed “orchestrated media campaigns” from abroad—especially Abu Dhabi—and viewed Burhan’s reported push to halt the war via Swiss consultations coordinated with Qatar as a threat to their influence. He argued those fears triggered rapid reactions inside the SAF against perceived ideological networks from the former regime.
Amid the shake-up, the SAF named a new General Staff led by Gen. Mohamed Othman al-Hussein, who retained his post for a fifth year. New deputies include Lt. Gen. Magdy Ibrahim Osman Khalil (logistics), Lt. Gen. Khaled Abideen Mohamed Ahmed al-Shami (training), and Lt. Gen. Abdelkhair Abdullah Nasser Dargam (administration). Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed Subair remains military intelligence chief; Lt. Gen. Malik al-Tayeb Khogali al-Nil was appointed deputy chief of staff for operations.
Additional appointments included Lt. Gen. Moatasem Abbas al-Toum Ahmed as inspector general, Air Lt. Gen. Ali Ajbana Mohamed as air force commander, Dr. Lt. Gen. Zakaria Ibrahim Mohamed Ahmed as head of medical services, and Maj. Gen. Omar Sir al-Khatim Hassan Nasr as air defense commander. Burhan also promoted and then retired three officers—Lt. Gen. Abbas Hassan al-Darouti, Lt. Gen. Abdel Mahmoud Hamad Hussein Ajmi, and Air Lt. Gen. al-Tahir Mohamed al-Awad al-Amin.
A family source said Bakrawi was taken from his home to an undisclosed location. He had faced trial over a 2021 coup attempt before proceedings were halted by the April 2023 war, after which some accused officers fought alongside the SAF against the RSF. His retirement and arrest come as Burhan restructures the command amid rising internal strain.
Details could not be independently verified.
