Protests continue in opposition to al-Burhan's proposal to stay above civilian power

Civil movements call for new marches in Sudan against the military

photo_camera AFP/EBRAHIM HAMID - Sudanese women display banners as they take to the streets of the capital, Khartoum, to join ongoing protests against the military government

Sudanese civil society continues to mobilise on a historic day for the country. After dispersing mass sit-ins in protest of the nine people killed in clashes with the forces of law and order, civil movements are calling for new marches on 17 July. According to the organisers, 2 million demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of Khartoum, the capital, to show their rejection of the military junta that has ruled the country since the October 2021 coup d'état. 

The call follows the announcement by General al-Burhan, who heads the ruling military junta, that the military would dissolve its governing body to make way for a civilian authority to lead the democratic transition. However, as Sudan expert analyst Hamid Khalafallah described it, "the devil is in the detail". The military would certainly step aside, but would maintain oversight of the democratic process through various tools, including control of the Central Bank of Sudan. 

AFP/ ASHRAF SHAZLY - Quinta jornada de sentadas de protesta frente al "Royal Care Hospital" en la la capital sudanesa, Jartum

As Khalafallah explains to Atalayar, the military's intention would be to leave a civilian authority in charge of dialogues with international organisations to oversee the transition process. The so-called "tripartite mechanism" is composed of the UN, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on East African Development. As long as this civilian authority negotiated with the "tripartite mechanism", the military would remain in control of Sudan's national defence, international relations and economy. 

The military's conditions, which many Sudanese see as a "deception", created division among civil society movements. More than 10 days later, the opposition to the military junta is once again calling on Sudanese to take to the streets. 

The proclamations on the banners are once again the same: "Bring the military back to the barracks". Clashes in the first week of July between protesters and the forces of law and order left 9 dead, adding to the 100 or so killed since the military came to power in October 2021, when they overthrew the transitional government led by Abdalla Hamdok. They call for a fully civilian government free from the looming shadow of the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Groups led by al-Burhan's lieutenant in Darfur, Mohamed Hamdan "Hemetti" Dagalo. 

AFP/ ASHRAF SHAZLY - El líder golpista de Sudán, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, dijo que el ejército daría paso a un gobierno civil

New Constitution

In parallel and unilaterally, Sudan's main coalition of civilian parties, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) announced on 5 July that its members are preparing a draft constitution to be approved by all civilian political forces in the country. While the unity and cohesion of the FFC may be in doubt, it is to be hoped that some forward-looking agreements can be reached to chart a roadmap for the country's democratic transition. 

The military's outright exit from power is a complicated scenario. The UN Special Envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, opined weeks before al-Burhan's announcement that the military is likely to remain in power in one form or another.
 
The al-Burhan announcement was, however, a breath of fresh air and hope for civil associations, which saw al-Burhan's backtracking in the face of strong civilian protests in Khartoum. "That he proposed a new form of transition is a sign that al-Burhan listened to what was going on in the streets, and that is an achievement for the protests," concludes Khalafallah. 

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