Hundreds of Sudanese protested in Khartoum and other cities on Thursday, putting pressure on military leaders after they agreed to reinstate a civilian prime minister deposed in a coup a month ago.
Prominent political parties and Sudan’s powerful protest movement have reacted angrily to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s decision to sign the agreement with the military on Sunday, with some calling it a betrayal or providing political cover for the takeover.
“The revolution is the revolution of the people. The army has returned to its barracks! “Protesters chanted in Khartoum’s Al Daim, a working-class district. They demanded justice for “martyrs” killed in previous protests.
Protesters also shut down a major road in the capital’s Sahafa neighborhood.
They chanted while carrying Sudanese flags “Burhan, you will not rule. Military rule must end “referring to Sudanese military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
Protests were also seen on social media in cities such as Port Sudan, Kassala, Wad Madani, and El Geneina.
While Hamdok’s reinstatement was a concession by military leader Burhan, key political parties and civilian groups say the army should play no role in politics.
Under the terms of Sunday’s deal, Hamdok will lead a government of technocrats during a political transition expected to last until 2023 and will share power with the military.
It is meant to be based on an earlier deal struck between the military and civilian political forces following the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir, when they had agreed to share power until elections. The coup scuppered that partnership.
The civilian coalition that had been sharing power with the military before the takeover and its former ministers have rejected the agreement struck by Hamdok, citing a violent crackdown on anti-military protests over the past month.
Hamdok has said the Sudanese authorities are committed to democracy and freedom of expression.