Sudan’s military council head in Chad

By Ahmed Assem

KHARTOUM (AA) – The head of Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan on Monday arrived in Chad, paying his fifth visit abroad since the military establishment ousted former President Omar al-Bashir in April of this year, according to an TMC statement.

Al-Burhan will meet with the Chadian President Idriss Deby, the statement said without providing further details on the visit nor its aims.

Bilateral ties between Khartoum and N'Djamena have witnessed positive cooperation during the last years of al-Bashir’s era, especially in the security and border control issues. The two capitals have sought to overcome a previous tension between them which was due to mutual accusations of supporting the rebels against the government of each side.

Only seven days before al-Bashir was toppled, the Chadian President Deby visited Khartoum, where he held talks with al-Bashir on ways to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Sudan relies on Chad to play a vital role in the Sudanese armed conflict-torn Darfur region, using N'Djamena's geographical nearness and tribal links with the Sudanese region.

Sudanese and Chadian forces have been deployed in some 20 border posts between the two countries, in accordance with a bilateral security agreement signed in 2009. The agreement provides for the deployment of a joint force to secure their border and prevent any party from supporting rebels on the other side.

Since Bashir was ousted on April 11, Burhan has conducted a series of visits to a number of countries in the region, which were Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Eritrea.

Sudan has remained in turmoil since April 11, when the military establishment deposed al-Bashir after months of popular protests against his 30-year rule.

The TMC is now overseeing a two-year “transitional period” during which it has pledged to hold free presidential elections.

Sudanese popular protests, however, have continued to demand that the military council relinquish power -- at the earliest possible date -- to a civilian authority.