Sudan’s civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has resigned, following another deadly crackdown on protesters with the military now firmly in control.
The country had been undergoing a fragile journey toward civilian rule since the 2019 ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir, but was plunged into turmoil when military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, launched his coup on October 25 and detained Hamdok.
Hamdok was reinstated on November 21 under a deal promising elections for mid-2023, but local media had recently reported he had been absent from his office for days, with rumours swirling over his possible resignation.
“I have tried my best to stop the country from sliding towards disaster,” Hamdok said Sunday evening, addressing the nation on state television.
Sudan “is crossing a dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival,” he said.
Hamdok was the civilian face of the country’s fragile transition, while Burhan has been the country’s de facto leader following Bashir’s ouster.
Hamdok cited “the fragmentation of the political forces and conflicts between the (military and civilian) components of the transition” and said that “despite everything that has been done to reach a consensus… it has not happened”.
Mass protests against the coup have continued even after Hamdok was reinstated, as demonstrators have distrusted veteran General Burhan and his promise to guide the country toward full democracy. Protesters have also charged that the deal to reinstate Hamdok simply aimed to give a cloak of legitimacy to the generals, whom they accuse of trying to continue the regime built by Bashir.
Thousands of demonstrators on Sunday braved tear gas, a heavy troop deployment, and a telecommunications blackout to demand a civilian government.
They lambasted the coup, shouting “power to the people” and demanding the military return to the barracks, at protests near the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, and in its twin city Omdurman.
Following Hamdok’s resignation, the United States is pushing for the East African country to regain a civilian government.
“After PM Hamdok’s resignation, Sudanese leaders should set aside differences, find consensus, and ensure continued civilian rule,’’ the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said on Twitter.
“Sudan’s next PM and Cabinet should be appointed in line with the constitutional declaration to meet the people’s goals of freedom, peace, and justice.’’
