Thousands of Sudanese protestors are rallying against a deal that reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok Al-Kinani following a military coup last month.
The protest has erupted days after the army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan signed a new power-sharing deal with the prime minister after releasing him from house arrest.
Many prominent parties in Sudan and the protestors have been opposing the prime minister’s decision to strike a deal with the military establishment, with some calling it a betrayal and highlighting that this deal could provide political cover for a military takeover.
“The revolution is the people’s revolution. The army back to the barracks!” chanted protesters in Al Daim, a working-class district of Khartoum. As per Reuters, they called for justice for “martyrs” killed in previous protests.
Protestors also closed a main road in the Sahafa neighbourhood of the capital. The political turmoil in Sudan has continued to deteriorate with each passing day and it appears it is unlikely to get resolved soon.
The protestors demonstrating on the streets ever since the military coup last month carried Sudan’s flags and chanted, “Burhan you won’t rule. Down with military rule,” referring to Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Live streams on social media also showed protests in cities including Port Sudan, Kassala, Wad Madani and El Geneina, as quoted by Arab News.
As per media reports about the violence and looting in Sudan following the military takeover, the United Nations said that 43 people have lost their lives in intercommunal violence in Jebel Moon in West Darfur since November 17, with 46 villages burned and looted, as indicated by reports.
“We are also alarmed at reports of rape committed against women and girls as well as reports of 20 children missing,” said the UN mission to Sudan, calling on the government and armed groups that signed a peace deal last year to protect civilians.
As per the deal between Sudanese PM Hamdok and Sudan’s military leader Burhan, Hamdok will lead a government of technocrats during a political transition expected to last until 2023, and will share power with the military establishment.
Following the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan with an iron-hand for nearly 30 years, it is being said that the deal has been revised from an earlier deal struck between the military and civilian political forces following Bashir’s ouster when they had agreed to share power until elections. However, the deal was smashed after the last month’s military coup.
