![Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Sovereign Council, speaks during a military-backed rally, in Omdurman district, west of Khartoum, Sudan, June 29, 2019. [AP Photo/Hussein Malla]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AP_19180669015980-e1580918718109.jpg?quality=89&ssl=1)
Major General Abdelbagi al-Bakrawi was among several high-ranking officers retired by army chief General Abdelfattah al-Burhan in the largest reshuffle of the senior command since fighting with the RSF first erupted in April 2023.
A source close to Bakrawi’s family said five pickup trucks carrying security personnel stormed his residence in Omdurman at 1:00 a.m. (2300 GMT) on Tuesday and took him to an undisclosed location.
“About five pickup trucks arrived at around 1:00 in the morning on Tuesday and surrounded the house before taking him away. They came quickly, entered the compound, and left with him in just a few minutes,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We have not been told where he was taken, and we are still trying to find out where he is being held. The family is deeply worried because there has been no official explanation, and we have no way of contacting him,” the source added.
Separately, a different source confirmed that General Khaled Ahmed Mustafa, another suspect in the 2021 coup plot, was also detained, though it was not clear whether his arrest took place in Omdurman.
Bakrawi and Mustafa, who had been accused of plotting a coup against the transitional government in 2021, were referred for retirement and detained, but legal proceedings against them were suspended in April 2023 when the war began.
Both men later returned to active military service as part of the popular resistance forces, where they fought against the RSF on behalf of the Sudanese military. They were once again referred for retirement on Sunday before their arrest.
The Sudanese army has not issued a public comment regarding Bakrawi’s detention. Spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah described the broader reshuffle, which retired dozens of generals, as a series of “routine measures in line with military law.”
Among those retired was Major General Nasr al-Din Abdelfattah, the commander of the Armored Corps, who had earned praise for his role in defending a strategic base in southern Khartoum during months of sustained RSF attacks.
Other high-ranking officers who were also retired included Major General Nader al-Mansouri, a former commander of the Presidential Guard, and Major General Rabie Abdallah, who had been overseeing operations in the Blue Nile region.
Analysts suggested that the dismissal of senior commanders with strong wartime credentials could signal a shift in Burhan’s strategy, where loyalty to the leadership is now outweighing demonstrated battlefield performance.
