Sudan military restores PM as political deal is signed

Sudan's military and civilian leadership have reached a long-awaited political deal to reinstate the country's civilian-backed prime minister Abdalla Hamdok who was ousted and temporarily put under house arrest following a military coup late last month.

The deal, which was signed today by Hamdok and Sudan's top military general Abdel-Fattah Burhan, should help bring an end to the crisis that has paralysed the country since the 25 October coup against the Hamdok-led transitional government.

Hamdok arrived at the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum after having been under house arrest since the start of the coup.

As per the new agreement, Hamdok will lead an independent government of technocrats which will continue to work towards securing the country's transition into a democracy, in line with the 2019 power-sharing agreement reached between the military and the pro-democracy movement. The agreement also calls for other political figures detained during the coup to be released.

"This agreement will break the tension and take us through the [current] gridlock," Hamdok said. "We will restore the democratic course until we achieve permanent and lasting democracy... and preserve the agreements we had over the past two years."

Last month's coup sparked a series of mass protests across the country which have become progressively more violent, with at least 40 civilians killed and hundreds injured. The Sudanese military was condemned for using excessive force against the protesters and Hamdok agreed to negotiate with the military — something he'd initially claimed he would not do — to stop the bloodshed.

"I know our people are capable of sacrificing, but each drop of blood is precious," Hamdok said. "Let's put an end to the bloodbath and let's spare each drop of blood."

The international community also contributed to reversal of the coup and restoration the civilian-led government by exerting mounting political and financial pressure on Burhan and others behind the coup.

But Hamdok's return to power may not be enough to put an end to the unrest.

The country's main opposition coalition, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) said today that it would not agree with any political deal with the military, and called on the people to continue demonstrating. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) — an umbrella association of trade unions that led the protests resulting in the ouster of former long-term president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 — also previously called for the formation of a completely new government in Sudan. The SPA also said it is against any negotiation or partnership with Sudan's military, and that it also rejects a return to the government structure that existed before 25 October.

By Ieva Paldaviciute