Sudan’s army and politicians have come closer to a new agreement ousted power-sharing as international efforts intensify to reverse last week’s coup.
According to a United Nations spokesperson, negotiations between the coup leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, former rebel groups, and ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok continued on Tuesday in the capital, Khartoum. Although there has been progress in the negotiations differences have not yet been resolved.
The overthrow of the civilian-led government on October 25, upset a political process that was considered a bright spot in the otherwise plagued by dictatorship and conflict African region.
Following a briefing on the talks by army officials, the former chief of staff of Sudan’s military Imad Adawi, said, “I think they will reach a conclusion very soon. There are many facilitators, including Sudanese actors, South Sudan, African countries, and the UN.”
The US and World Bank halted aid to the country as the international community condemned the coup, pressurizing the military into releasing Hamdok and his detained colleagues.
According to diplomats, al-Burhan sees the involvement of Hamdok, in the new administration as critical to garnering credibility. Sudan had been ruled by civilian and military figures in a troubled arrangement since 2019.
Hamdok said on Monday that reinstating his government could lead to a solution in the country.
The information ministry wrote on Twitter that the ousted prime minister “insisted on the legitimacy of his government and transitional institutions”.
As per reports, one proposal being considered would grant Hamdok greater powers but with a new cabinet more palatable to the army. The army would be in control of the government’s powerful security and defense councils under the deal.
The politicians and the army have differences over the cabinet appointments component. The UN special representative said on Monday “the contours of a package would become visible” in the coming days.
The US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, said on Tuesday that the army is well aware that the support for Sudan’s economic development and debt relief, along with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund financing relies on the reinstation of democracy.
Feltman said he had not expected the coup, which happened only a few hours following his departure from Sudan after trying to mend military-civilian ties.
Answering a question if the army deceived him, Feltman said: “I wouldn’t go so far to say they lied. What I would say is they seemed to be talking to us in bad faith.”
