April 2 (Reuters) – Sudan has appointed General Yassir al-Atta, a member of the country’s Sovereign Council and assistant to the commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chief of staff of the country’s Armed Forces, a military spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.
The move is the most significant personnel shift since the Sudanese army’s war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces three years ago, and could lead to shifts in strategy as a new front opens in the war in the southeastern Blue Nile state.
Al-Atta, who has served in the military for more than 40 years, has frequently lashed out in public speeches against the United Arab Emirates, accusing the Gulf state of backing the RSF, as well as civilian politicians he says supported the paramilitary group. The UAE and the politicians deny supporting the RSF.
Al-Atta takes over the role of chief of staff from career soldier Othman al-Hussein, giving him less of a political role but tighter control of the armed forces.
(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Editing by Alex Richardson)
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