Sudan's former prime minister to return to power after deal with the military

Almost a month after the coup d'état that deposed him from office, the ousted prime minister, Abdullah Hamdok, will be reappointed after reaching an agreement with the military that deposed him, according to a statement issued Sunday by the team of mediators set up for the negotiations following the coup d'état of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

In Sudan, an agreement has been reached between Hamdok, the military and other Sudanese actors, confirming "the return of Abdullah Hamdok as prime minister of the transitional period".

The team of mediators assured that "the agreement will be officially announced later today, following the signing of its terms and the accompanying political declaration." 

Furthermore, an agreement has been reached not only for Hamdok to return to his position as prime minister, but also to "release all political detainees," this being one of the main conditions Hamdok, who remains under house arrest, demanded. 

The mediators said they had agreed to finalize consultations with the remaining political forces in order to continue with "the constitutional, legal and political consensus procedures governing the transitional period", which began in April 2019, following the overthrow of dictator Omar al-Bashir.

Sudan is experiencing a critical situation, on the brink of a new war since General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan staged a coup d'état last October 25. 

The coup began with the dissolution of the government institutions of the democratic transition and the arrest of four civilian ministers of the Executive and other Sudanese political leaders, including Abdalla Hamdok.

In addition, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared a state of emergency throughout the country, which led to several riots and thousands of people demonstrating in the streets, advocating for a civilian and democratic transition. 

Protests have been taking place in various parts of the country, including the capital, Khartoum.

These demonstrations have resulted in at least 40 deaths since the outbreak of the military coup, according to the Sudan Doctors Committee.

This same committee has assured on its social networks that the security forces used live ammunition, in addition to tear gas, in their aim to control the demonstrators.   

Also, according to Sudanese health authorities, hundreds of people have been seriously injured, many of them in "critical" condition.   

In an attempt to storm Alwad hospital, "they fired tear gas without concern for the safety of the wounded, the sick and the medical staff," say the Sudanese health authorities.

According to several witnesses, the aim of the security forces was to aim at "the head, the neck or the torso". 

Since the beginning of the protests, communications have been impossible, both by telephone and by blocking the bridges to the capital. 

"The coup regime is isolating the Sudanese from the world by cutting off all means of communication in order to commit a massacre on our people," reported the Doctors' Committee. 

Likewise, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FCC) coalition has explained that this procedure of cancelling communications is intended to "cover up" the "crimes and violations" that are being carried out. 

However, a week after the uprising, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan expressed his desire for Hamdok to be back in the government, and therefore, certain negotiations have been held together with a team of mediators to ensure the conditions demanded by the ousted prime minister to return to rule the African country in his former position. 

To all this must be added a failed coup d'état last September, carried out by high command of the army loyal to the dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir, which is one of the aftermaths that makes the total recovery of the country impossible.

Former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019 after 30 years of dictatorship, which began in 1989, and replaced by a transitional military council. 

Before he took office, Sudan was in the midst of a 21-year civil war between the north and south, coupled with the conflict in the western region of Darfur in 2003.

During his three decades in office, Omar Hassan al-Bashir was accused of murder, extermination, rape, torture and war crimes against members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in attacks on civilians in Darfur and other towns and villages. 

As a result, the International Criminal Court (ICC) denounced him for war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

Three weeks after the military coup d'état, there has been some progress, such as the reestablishment of internet service, and the continuation of negotiations to continue the transition period in Sudan.​

The agreement reached between Al-Burham and Hamdok advocates:

To feel the dangers surrounding the country and threatening the success of the transitional period, as a result of conflicts between political forces that have become a threat to the unity, security and stability of the country, and as a result of the failure of all initiatives to contain the political crisis, the action and decisions of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces on 25 October 2021, resulted in the confirmation that the crisis is essentially a political crisis that requires some wisdom.

In order to prevent the collapse of the security contract and its integrity, the parties pledged to work together to complete the path of democratic correction in the best interest of Sudan, and to prevent the slide of our country into the unknown, the breakdown of the security contract and its integrity and the need to complete the transitional period and its success to reach an elected civilian government, which takes place only through the unity of political forces, the force of revolution, young women, young women, young women, resistance committees, travellers, displaced persons and Sudanese refugees.

In order to lead the country out of the current political crisis and based on the decisions of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, we agreed on the following:

First, emphasise that the constitutional document of 2019 amendment 2020 is the existing basic reference to complete the transitional period taking into account the situation in the east of Sudan, and work together to address it in a national framework that includes stability to the satisfaction of the people of the east.

Secondly, the parties stress the need to amend the constitutional document by consensus in order to achieve and ensure the full political participation of all components of society, except the dissolved National Congress Party.

Third, the parties affirm that the civil-military transitional partnership is the guarantor and means of stability and security in Sudan, and therefore agreed to enforce the partnership in spirit and trust with a full commitment to the formation of a civilian government of independent national competencies (technocrats).

fourth: the transitional sovereignty council should oversee the implementation of the tasks of the transitional period under article 8 of the constitutional document without direct interference in executive action.

Fifth: ensure that power is transferred in time to an elected civilian government.

Sixth: Manage the transition period under a political declaration that defines the framework of partnership between the national forces (political and civilian), the military component, the civilian administration, the resistance committees, the living forces of the revolution, the youth sectors and Sufi women and men on the road.

seventh: investigate the injuries and deaths of civilians and military personnel during the demonstrations and bring the perpetrators to trial.

eighth: implementation of the juba peace agreement, completion of the new benefits and placement of non-signatories of the peace agreement.

ninth: accelerate the completion of all transitional government institutions through the formation of the legislative council and the constitutional court and the appointment of the chief justice and the attorney general, and the successive formation of the commissions and other transitional institutions and the immediate exercise of their functions according to specific timetables.

Tenth: The initiation of an expanded and transparent dialogue between all political and community forces and the forces of the living revolution provides for the establishment of the constitutional convention.

eleventh: the parties stress the need to restructure the committee to dismantle the June 30 system with a review of its performance in the previous period, with qualified cadres in the necessary specialties and expertise so that it can perform its work successfully and fairly with the activation of the appeals committee and review its decisions in accordance with the legally prescribed degrees of litigation.

Twelve: Release of all political detainees.

thirteen: work to build a unified national army.

fourteen: by signing this political declaration, the decision of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to exempt the prime minister from the transitional council will be reversed.

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