Sudan’s prime minister resigns amid violent anti-coup protests that left at least 57 people dead
The announcement came after three protesters were killed by Sudanese security forces during anti-coup protests near the capital on Sunday, the Sudan Central Committee of Physicians (SCDC) said.
In a televised address announcing his resignation, Hamdok said he was stepping down to clear the way for the country’s “daughters or sons” to complete the transition period.
He also praised the Sudanese people for their determination to demand “freedom and justice” during the protests, adding that “you will surely have a better future with your revolutionary fervor.” .”
“It is worth mentioning here that my appointment as prime minister in August 2019 was based on a constitutional document and political consensus among the civilian and military sectors, which I preached as a unique model of Sudan, but it Hamdok said.
Sudan has been ruled by an uneasy alliance between military and civilian groups since 2019. But in October the military effectively took control, disbanding the Shared Sovereignty Council power and transitional government, while holding Hamdok, prime minister.
The country’s military commander-in-chief, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, reinstated Hamdok in November as part of an agreement between the military and civilian leadership.
Under the deal agreed to by Hamdok and Al-Burhan, Hamdok will once again become the leader of the transitional government, which was first established after the ouster of powerful President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Sudanese protesters continue to demand democracy
Hamdok’s resignation follows news that three more pro-democracy protesters have been killed by Sudanese security forces.
Multiple news agencies and social media videos showed groups of protesters running through smoke of white tear gas and dispersed by targeted gunfire.
The protests resulted in the loss of internet and mobile phones.
Sunday’s protests in Omdurman, about 25 kilometers (16 mi) northwest of Khartoum, were the 14th day of protests against military rule since the October 25 coup At least 57 people have been killed by security forces since then, SCDC reported.
“We had hoped 2021 would bring an opportunity to cooperate with a democratizing Sudan, but the military takeover in October and violence against peaceful protesters has raised doubts about that future,” Blinken said in the statement.
“We do not want to go back to the past and are ready to respond to those who seek to thwart the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a democratic, democratic government and who will hinder accountability, justice and peace. “
Blinken demanded that security forces “immediately stop using deadly force against protesters” and bring justice to those responsible for human rights abuses.
Sudan falls into crisis
The Council of Ministers, which was dissolved on October 25, will be restored and the civilian and military leadership will share power. The constitution will be amended to outline a partnership between civilians and the military in the transitional government.
However, according to Mudawi Ibrahim, a prominent official in the National Forces Initiative (NFI), the deal also included unspecified restructuring, which helped mediate the negotiations, and it did faced resistance in Sudan.
Citizens opposed to military rule were faced with brutality, and the media faced violent attempts to block their coverage of the events.
Authorities raided the offices of Saudi broadcaster al-Arabiya and its sister outlet al-Hadath, confiscating equipment and assaulting staff in Khartoum on Thursday, al-Arabiya reported. know in a series of tweets.
CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Celine Alkhaldi contributed to this report.
