Sudan PM Abdalla Hamdok resigns after mass protests over army deal

Thousands of protesters marched on the roads of the city against his latest deal of sharing power with the army, who staged a coup in October. Protesters called for a return to full civilian rule as they kept chanting “power to the people”.

However, military forces staged another violent crackdown, leaving two people dead.

With Mr Hamdok’s decision to quit the government, he leaves the army in full control of authorities.

The move is another blow to Sudan’s fragile attempts at a transition to democratic rule after a popular uprising led to the overthrow of Sudan’s long-term authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

In a televised address, Mr Hamdok said the country was at a “dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival”.

In a televised address, Mr Hamdok said the country was at a “dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival”.

He said he had tried his best to stop the country from “sliding towards disaster”, but “despite everything that has been done to reach a consensus… it has not happened”.

Civilian and military leaders had made an uneasy power-sharing agreement after the army staged a coup on October 25 and initially placed Prime Minister Hamdok under house arrest.

Under the agreement reached with Mr Hamdok in November, the reinstated prime minister was supposed to lead a cabinet of technocrats until elections were held.

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Coup leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has defended last October’s coup, saying the army had acted to prevent a civil war that was threatening to erupt.

He says Sudan is still committed to the transition to civilian rule, with elections planned for July 2023.

source: express.co.uk