KHARTOUM, Sudan

The head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Military Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, warned loyalists of former President Omar al-Bashir against interfering in the army’s affairs.

“The military institution does not support any faction or party,” Al-Burhan said in a speech aired by state television.

“Stay away from the armed forces,” he said in a stern warning to al-Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) and the Islamist Movement.

Al-Burhan stressed that the army will not allow the NCP or Islamists to return to power.

There was no comment from the NCP on al-Burhan’s speech.

Al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades, was removed from power by the military in April 2019 following mass protests against deteriorating economic conditions in the country.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar