Sudan army names new chief of staff in biggest wartime shakeup

Sudan's army on Thursday named General Yasser al-Atta as its new chief of staff, part of its biggest military shake-up since the war with the Rapid Support Forces began nearly three years ago.

Atta, who serves as a deputy to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in his ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council, will head the new armed forces command, the army spokesman said in a statement.

The shake-up also includes the appointment of new deputies overseeing administration, operations, training, supply and military intelligence.

General Atta replaces Mohamed Othman al-Hussein, who had been in the post since 2019.

A veteran officer with nearly 40 years of service, Atta is known for his outspoken criticism of the United Arab Emirates, accusing it of supporting the RSF -- allegations Abu Dhabi denies.

Beyond his battlefield role, Atta has been a central political figure, serving on the Transitional Sovereignty Council formed in 2019 after the ousting of longtime president Omar al-Bashir.

The latest changes come as Sudan's conflict spreads to new fronts, including the southern Kordofan region, now the most volatile theatre of the war, and the southeastern Blue Nile state, where intensified clashes have raised fears of a longer and increasingly fragmented conflict.

Near-daily drone attacks continue to disrupt daily life, sometimes killing dozens at a time.

A government source and two witnesses told AFP anonymously that the RSF targeted a hospital in the Al-Jabalain area of White Nile state, just east of Kordofan, on Thursday.

Nine civilians were killed, the source said, including the hospital's director.

Now nearing its three-year mark, the war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 11 million more and created the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.