Al-Burhan proposes revival of independence-era flag

PORT SUDAN – Sudan’s army chief and head of the ruling Sovereignty Council, General Abdelfattah al-Burhan, on Monday proposed restoring the country’s original independence flag while reiterating his firm rejection of any political settlement that does not include the disarmament and dismantling of the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Speaking at a funeral ceremony for allied fighters from the Joint Forces of former Darfur rebel groups organized in Port Sudan, Burhan said any initiative that failed to mandate the removal of the “rebel militia” from the battlefield was “completely unacceptable.”

“This is a firm conviction,” Burhan said, arguing that the scale of bloodshed and destruction across the country—particularly in Darfur and El Fasher—had narrowed the space for negotiation with the paramilitary group.

Burhan vowed that those responsible for crimes during the ongoing war would face retribution and said they no longer deserved to live among Sudanese citizens. He also renewed his call for national unity to defeat the RSF, urging civilians willing to take up arms to join the fight.

He praised the role of Minni Arko Minawi, the governor of the Darfur region, and commended the “Joint Force” and armed groups fighting alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

“And here we address our brother Minni. You were keen—truly keen—that this battle proceeds in a way that restores people’s rights. You put the nation first. Even during the month of Ramadan, you placed the public good above everything else,” he said.

“We thank you openly before everyone. We salute you and your brothers, and all our brothers who are fighting alongside us now—an honest, brotherly fight, a sincere fight that truly shows their loyalty to Sudan and their deep feeling for the suffering of the Sudanese people,” he added.

In a symbolic move, Burhan proposed reviving Sudan’s original national flag, raised at independence in 1956, calling for a return to the tricolour design “raised by our grandparents and fathers at the time of independence.”

He suggested that rebuilding the Sudanese state would require redefining its foundations and national identity.

“On this occasion, I also wish to present a proposal to the Sudanese people. We want to restore Sudan’s old flag—the independence flag. I raise this proposal today because we believe that we must truly rebuild the Sudanese state from the very beginning, so that we can establish a real state and build Sudan on sound and correct foundations. We want to return to the old three-colored flag—the flag that our grandparents and our fathers raised at the time of independence,” he said.

Sudan’s independence flag, used from 1956 until 1970, consisted of three horizontal stripes—blue, yellow, and green. The colours symbolized Sudan’s core elements: blue for the Nile River, yellow for the desert, and green for agriculture and the country’s fertile lands.

The current Sudanese flag, adopted in 1970, follows the Pan-Arab colour scheme, featuring red, white, and black horizontal stripes with a green triangle at the hoist.

Its symbolism reflects Arab nationalist ideology: red for struggle and sacrifice, white for peace, black referencing Sudan’s name and historical struggles, and green symbolizing Islam and prosperity.

Burhan’s proposal marks the first time since the outbreak of the war that the SAF leadership has publicly raised the possibility of reversing the country’s post-1970 national symbolism.

The army chief’s remarks come as the SAF faces mounting battlefield pressure following the RSF’s capture of major urban and military centres across Darfur and Kordofan in recent months including one yesterday in which they captured the army’s 22^nd infantry division in Babanusa, West Kordofan State.

Despite international efforts to revive ceasefire talks, fighting has continued to expand across western and central Sudan.