[13] Al-Burhan seized power in a coup d'état in October 2021, dissolved the Sovereignty Council, and reconstituted it the following month with new membership, keeping himself as chairman.

Al-Burhan studied elementary and intermediate level in his village school, and later moved to Shendi to complete his education before joining the Sudanese Military College among the 31st batch.

[19] He later traveled to Egypt and then to Jordan to receive training courses in his military field until in 2018 he was appointed commander of the ground forces of the army.

[21] By 26 February 2019, during the massive protests that swept the country and demanded the fall of Omar al-Bashir's regime, al-Burhan was elevated to the rank of lieutenant general.

Shortly after his appointment, al-Burhan ordered the release of all jailed prisoners who had been arrested by his predecessor, Omar al-Bashir, in a televised address.

[23][24] Human rights groups said that peaceful protesters were killed and about forty of the bodies were thrown in the river Nile, hundreds were tortured, violated and raped in the streets of Khartoum.

[26][27] Iyad el-Baghdadi interpreted the decision-making by the TMC under al-Burhan's leadership as being strongly influenced by the general context of the Saudi, UAE and Egyptian leaders being afraid of democratic movements.

[28] Mahmoud Elmutasim, a political activist and doctor who graduated from the University of Khartoum, similarly stated that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are opposed to the existence of democracies in the Middle East, since if "the idea of democracy itself [should] ever take root, or become widespread in the Middle East," then it would constitute a threat to the governmental systems of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces De facto leader of Sudan Government to delay uploading evidence of the violations that took place on 3 June 2019 and in the days that followed.

[28] This comment by Iyad el-Baghdadi and recent developments and his ties to the Egyptian brotherhood which he established long ago when he studied in Egypt has led to the popular belief that al-Burhan has no interest to lead Sudan to a democratic and civilian state.

[41] On 20 December 2021, al-Burhan voiced his support for Hamdok, adding that recent appointments had been made as the result of coordination between him and the prime minister and in line with the 21 November 2021 political agreement.

[42][43] On 31 December 2021, in a speech, al-Burhan said he was committed to "building all the institutions of transitional government and holding free, fair, and transparent elections at their scheduled time", in July 2023.

[47][48] On 10 November 2023, al-Burhan condemned Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war, saying that "We declare our full solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to establish their legitimate state on the 1967 borders.