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Mass Protests Held in Sudan Against Prospect of Military Rule, PM Offers 'Acceptable' Proposals to End Political Crisis

October 22, 2021 

Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok	Demonstrators protest against prospect of military rule in Khartoum, Sudan October 21, 2021

 

Mass protests held in Sudan against prospect of military rule

By Khalid Abdelaziz

October 22, 202

KHARTOUM, Oct 21 (Reuters) -

Huge crowds of people marched in several parts of the Sudanese capital and other cities on Thursday in demonstrations against the prospect of military rule, as the crisis in the country's troubled transition from authoritarian rule deepened.

The military has shared power with civilian parties in a transitional authority since the removal of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 in a popular uprising after three decades of his rule.

A coalition of rebel groups and political parties have aligned themselves with the military, which has accused the civilian parties of mismanagement and monopolising power, and they are seeking to dissolve the cabinet.

Civilian leaders say that this would amount to a coup and that the military aims to install a government it can control.

Thursday's protest, which began at midday and continued after sundown, took place on the anniversary of the 1964 October Revolution that overthrew a military government and led to a period of parliamentary democracy.

It was preceded by days of smaller neighbourhood protests.

Reuters journalists estimated the number of participants to be in the hundreds of thousands, making it the biggest demonstration of the transition.

Plumes of smoke could be seen across Khartoum as protesters burned tires and waved Sudanese flags.

Many chants were critical of the head of the ruling Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, accusing him of being loyal to Bashir. Some demanded he hand over leadership to civilians and others demanded his removal.

"This country is ours, and our government is civilian," one chant said.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said 37 people were injured in the protests, which it blamed on government forces, including four gunshot victims.

State television said police used tear gas and live bullets to break up protests in front of the parliament building in Omdurman.

In a statement, police said rogue protesters in Omdurman set a police vehicle on fire and attacked police officers, shooting two. Officers then used a "legal amount" of riot control to disperse the crowd, it said. Eyewitnesses said protesters were tear gassed heavily.

Several government ministers and officials were seen marching in different parts of Khartoum.

"October 21 is a lesson for any tyrants, loyalists, or opportunists deluded into thinking they can turn back the hands of time," wrote civilian Sovereign Council member Siddig Tawer.

Neighbourhood resistance committees said in a statement they were protesting against the entire power-sharing agreement and demanded sole civilian rule.

Many businesses in central Khartoum were closed in anticipation of the protest and there was an extensive police presence.

The military says it is committed to the transition to democracy and elections at the end of 2023.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who leads the cabinet under a military-civilian power-sharing agreement, remains popular despite an economic crisis. He has said he is speaking to all sides in the crisis in order to find a solution.

In a statement Thursday evening, he said he saluted the protesters, saying "the crowds have made their voices heard and delivered their message that there is no going back from the goals of the revolution."

Military-aligned groups led by rebel group leaders and current government officials Minni Minnawi and Jibril Ibrahim have held a sit-in in front of the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum since Saturday.

Protest routes were planned in other areas of the city to avoid a confrontation with the sit-in.

"We encourage demonstrators to be peaceful and remind them of the strong U.S. support for Sudan's democratic transition," the U.S. Embassy wrote on Twitter.

Writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Angus MacSwan, William Maclean, Hugh Lawson and Daniel Wallis

Mass protests held in Sudan against prospect of military rule | Reuters 

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Sudanese PM offers "acceptable" proposals to end political crisis: Minnawi

Sudan Tribune, October 17, 2021

KHARTOUM) -

Minni Minnawi, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM), revealed he had received proposals that he described as "acceptable" from the Prime Minister to solve the current political crisis in the country.

In an interview with Al-Hilal TV channel on Sunday, Minnawi said he held a two-hour meeting with Abdallah Hamdok, with the participation of the head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Gibril Ibrahim.

He said that this meeting comes as part of Hamdok’s efforts to resolve the current crisis and that they are helping him in this regard.

The Prime Minister "presented proposals that were acceptable, but it is too early to disclose them before they are accepted by the other party," said the SLM-MM leader.

"These proposals aim at solving the entire problem and developing a new political map for the transitional period," he further added.

He said that the Prime Minister was holding a meeting on Sunday evening with the other component of freedom and change to discuss it.

The FFC- National Accord demands the dissolution of the transitional government, saying that a small group had seized power and excluded them.

The faction organized a protest in Khartoum on 16 October chanting slogans supporting the military component and calling on the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to dissolve Hamdok’s cabinet.

Minnawi said he is ready to resign from his position as governor of the Darfur region if this contradicts his demand to dissolve the government of which he is a part.

He also denied that the military component financed the demonstration and the sit-in that followed.

Many of the participants had said that they had received money for their participation in the protests.

On Sunday night, the official Sudan News Agency reported that the Council of Ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting on the political situation.

Sudanese PM offers "acceptable" proposals to end political crisis: Minnawi - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

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"I am not neutral nor a mediator," says Sudanese prime minister

Sudan Tribune, October 15, 2021

(KHARTOUM) -

Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok Friday stressed that he is neither "neutral nor a mediator", in the current political strife between the ruling Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition and the military component of the Sovereign Council.

In a speech to the Sudanese, hours before a demonstration calling to dissolve the FFC-led cabinet, Hamdok took the opportunity to explain his soft attitude with "the al-Bashir’s security committee" as his detractors say.

"My position, clearly and firmly, is the full support for the civil democratic transition in order to complete the tasks of the glorious December Revolution and achieve its slogans of freedom, peace and justice," he said.

Hamdok had been criticized for his consensual approach with the military component who are accused of transgressing the political charter and the Constitutional Document several times.

Sudanese welcomed his rejection of al-Burhan’s demand to dissolve the cabinet and freeze the Empowerment Removal Committee.

The prime minister said that "The essence of this crisis is the inability to agree on a national project (...) to achieve the goals of the glorious December revolution and the hopes of our people for freedom, peace and justice".

"Therefore, I kept saying that the conflict is not between civilians and the military, but rather between the camp of the democratic civil transition and the camp of overthrowing the revolution," he stressed.

A dissident FFC faction led by Minni Minnawi plans to stage a demonstration calling to dissolve the Hamdok cabinet saying few political groups have confiscated power.

The organizers are accused of coordinating with the military component. Also, the supporters of the former regime released calls on social media to join the protests against the Hamdok government.

Hamdok’s roadmap

The prime minister proposed a 10-points platform to implement the goals of the revolution. He called for a de-escalation between the two sides and to engage in a serious dialogue on the issues that divide the FFC.

He underlined that dismantling the grip of the former regime on the Sudanese state is a "constitutional obligation".

"Therefore, it is a goal that should not be undone, but (we) can review the ways and means of work, ensuring the right to appeal and achieving justice," he said.

In response to those who call to replace the current government with another one, Hamdok called to end frictions between the FFC groups and broadening the base of the transitional government with more components.

Hamdok’s speech was welcomed by the public. Many said he appeared for the first time as the government’s leader.

The prime minister recalled his initiative "The way forward" to deal with the political crisis and emphasized that it would "immunize the transition".

"I am not neutral nor a mediator," says Sudanese prime minister - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

 

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