Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, De Facto Head of State of Sudan
Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan (Arabic: عبد الفتاح عبد الرحمن البرهان; born 1960) is a Sudanese general who has served as Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan since 21 August 2019, making him the country’s de facto head of state. Sudan has been consumed by civil war since 15 April 2023, when fighting broke out in Khartoum between al-Burhan’s regular Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”). The war has killed tens of thousands of people and produced the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 14 million people uprooted by April 2026.
Military career
Al-Burhan is a career army officer who served in the Darfur conflict in the mid-2000s, when the SAF and Janjaweed militias were implicated in large-scale atrocities against non-Arab civilians. He rose to command Sudanese Ground Forces and became a senior figure in the military junta that ousted Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following months of mass pro-democracy protests.
Chairman of the Transitional Council
Al-Burhan became chairman of the Transitional Military Council in April 2019 and then chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (a joint civil-military body) in August 2019. In October 2021 he led a military coup that dissolved the civilian cabinet of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, derailing Sudan’s planned transition to democratic civilian rule.
Civil war since April 2023
Tensions between the SAF and the RSF — both of which had been junior partners in the post-Bashir government — escalated into open warfare on 15 April 2023. The RSF captured most of Khartoum, Darfur and parts of Kordofan; the SAF retained the north and east and re-captured portions of Khartoum through 2024 and 2025. The war has been accompanied by credible reports of ethnic cleansing against the Masalit and other non-Arab communities in Darfur, for which U.S. officials in early 2025 made a formal genocide determination.
Human rights and governance
Sudan has no functioning elected government as of April 2026. Freedom House classifies it as “Not Free”. Both the SAF and the RSF have been sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union for war crimes. The International Criminal Court reopened its investigation into atrocities in Darfur in 2023. All sides of the conflict are accused of blocking humanitarian aid, with Sudan experiencing the world’s worst hunger crisis in decades.
At a glance
| Full name | Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960, Gandatu, Sudan |
| Office | Chairman, Transitional Sovereignty Council (de facto head of state) |
| In office since | 21 August 2019 |
| Rival | Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), RSF commander |
| Civil war since | 15 April 2023 |
| Displaced | 14 million+ (world’s largest displacement crisis) |
| Predecessor | Omar al-Bashir (1989–2019) |
| Human rights | Freedom House: Not Free; US genocide determination (2025) |
Frequently asked questions
Click a question to expand the answer.
Who is the leader of Sudan in 2026?
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has been the de facto head of state of Sudan since August 2019, serving as Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council. However, Sudan is in a civil war, and large parts of the country are controlled by the rival Rapid Support Forces under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Is Sudan in a civil war?
Yes. Open warfare between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo began on 15 April 2023. As of April 2026 the war is ongoing, with more than 14 million people displaced.
What happened to Omar al-Bashir?
Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan from 1989 to 2019, was ousted on 11 April 2019 by the military following months of mass pro-democracy protests. He was convicted of corruption in Sudan in 2019 and remains wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Who is Hemedti?
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) is the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group descended from the Janjaweed militias of the Darfur conflict. He was deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council from 2019 to 2023. He is al-Burhan’s principal rival in the current civil war.
How old is al-Burhan?
He was born in 1960 and is approximately 65 in April 2026. His exact birth date is not publicly confirmed.
Has the US declared genocide in Sudan?
Yes. In early 2025 the U.S. State Department formally determined that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have committed genocide against the Masalit and other non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur.
Is Sudan a dictatorship?
Sudan has no functioning elected government. Freedom House classifies it as “Not Free”. Power is held by competing military factions.
Omar H.A. Al-Bashir, President of Sudan (since Jun 30, 1989; resigned on Apr 11, 2019)
Update: On Apr 13, 2015 he is re-elected by winning 94% of the vote) Omar H.A. Al-Bashir – 1945 – – A sudanese political and military leader. He is currently the President of the Sudan. Al-Bashir comes from a rural and working class background. He was born in the town of Hoshe Bannaga, 100 Km North East of Khartoum. He did his high school education in the Ahlia Middle School in Shendi. His family then moved to Khartoum were he did his secondary school education. He supplemented his education and family income by working in a motor garage. After his Secondary education, he was admitted into the the military academy as a pilot. He earned his wings in the Airborne Forces, and then transferred to the Infantry Brigade. He holds two masters degrees in Military Science from the Sudanese College of Commanders and Malaysia In 1988, he was put in command of the 8th Brigade in the South of Sudan, fighting the rebellion in the South of the Country. In June of 1989, with a group of middle rank military officers, he staged a coup d’etat against the elected Coalition government of Sadiq Al-Mahdi. His policy of Islamization of the Sudan and implementation of the Islamic Law (Sharia) has enraged and fueled the already ongoing war in the South of the Country. Due to the misguided economic and political policies of his government, the economic downturn and the degradation of the state and social institutions in the Sudan continues.