SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – Sudan’s al-Burhan says army ousted government to avoid civil war

26/10/2021: Multiple sources – Sudan’s al-Burhan says army ousted government to avoid civil war

• Reuters, by Khalid Abdelaziz

• BBC

Sudan’s armed forces chief, Lt. Gen. Abdulfattah al-Burhan, defended the military's seizure of power, saying he had ousted the government to avoid civil war.

Speaking at his first news conference since he announced the coup, al-Burhan said the army had no choice but to side-line politicians who were inciting against the armed forces.  “We only wanted to correct the course to a transition. We had promised the people of Sudan and the entire world. We will protect this transition," said al-Burhan, adding that a new government would be formed that would not contain any typical politicians.

The military appeared to have underestimated civilian opposition on the street, Jonas Horner of the International Crisis Group told Reuters.  "They haven't learned their lesson. As we saw post the revolution and post-Bashir, the streets were determined and civilians were willing to die for this" he said.