Hamdok to Be Reinstated Prime Minister, Say Sudanese Mediators

21 NOVEMBER 2021

November 21, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – A compromise has been struck in Sudan to reinstate Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok after a nearly one-month political crisis that resulted in the death of 40 people.

A group of Sudanese mediators announced in the early hour of Sunday that Hamdok and the military component have agreed to restore him in his position and to release all the political detainees.

The short statement, which was released before planned demonstrations on Sunday, hinted that the constitutional declaration governing the transitional period would be amended.

“Continuing procedures to reach a constitutional, legal and political consensus that governs the transitional period,” said the statement before adding that those consultations would include political forces, except the banned National Congress Party.

The statement further said the agreement would be signed and its details would be released together with a political declaration.

The announced outlines seem similar to what the UN Special Envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes said to Reuters earlier this month on November 4.

At the time he spoke about ” adjustments to some transitional institutions and a new technocratic cabinet”.

The recent protests after the 25-October coup are mainly organised and spearheaded by the Resistance Committees which coordinate directly without the Sudanese Professionals Association nor the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).

Following the announcement of the deal, activists released banners on social media rejecting the continuation of the partnership with the military component.

“No negotiation, no partnership, no bargaining”, Civil authority not a civil government”, read the slogans posted on social media.

Reacting to the announced deal which maintains the civilian-military partnership, the Unionist Alliance said that the military component has to hand over power to a civilian government.

“We support the position of the street and the escalation of the political struggle against the putschist council until it hands over power to full civilian government,” said the alliance which is a member of the Forces for Freedom and Change coalition.

FFC Spokesman rejects the deal.

Gaffar Abbas FFC Spokesman wrote on his Facebook page that Sudanese reject the participation of the putschists as it was before the coup. He stressed that today the decision is in the hands of the people, not al-Burhan nor Hamdok.

“The return is impossible. A return to an equation re-establishing the situation before the coup, so that the coup leaders remain in the Sovereign Council, will be a setback that we completely reject”.

He added that Hamdok returns to his position only by the will of the people as a symbol of the desired civil authority, but he does not have the mandate to negotiate with the coup leaders.

Previously Hamdok had previously asked to release the political detainees and the return of his full government before accepting the deal.

In statements to Reuters on Sunday, Fadlallah Burma, the head of the National Umma Party (NUP), who is also a former army general confirmed to Reuters the deal, adding that Hamdok would form a technocrat cabinet.

Previously the NUP distanced its self from Burma’s efforts saying he was not representing the party.

(ST)