The Sudanese military leader has said the military will quit politics after elections slated for 2023.
Gen. Abdel Fattah alBurhan offered insurance in one of several interviews he gave to international news agencies on Saturday. The general led a military takeover in late October, reversing Sudan’s transition to civilian democracy, but a deal reached on November 21 restored Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to head a technocratic government until the July elections. 2023.
“When a government is elected, I don’t think the military, army or any of the security forces will participate in politics. That’s what we agreed to and that is the natural situation, “alBurhan told the news agency.
The coup, which ended a partnership with civilian political parties after the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir, drew international condemnation after the detention of dozens of key officials and the crackdown on protesters.
At least 44 people have died in the protests, many of them from gunshot wounds inflicted by security forces, doctors said, the protests began to identify who did this (…) and to punish the criminals, ”alBurhan said, adding that the security forces had only dispersed the non-peaceful protests.
Sudanese mourn victims of crackdown on protests AlBashir was jailed after his overthrow on corruption and other charges along with many other Sudanese suspects, he is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Darfur.
We have agreements with the International Criminal Court for the appearance [of suspects] in court,” alBurhan said.
“We have remained in dialogue with the court on how to act right on the part of the victims. In the aftermath of the coup, many civilian bureaucrats were fired or transferred and replaced by veterans of alBashirera in the rulings that Hamdok sought to cancel.
On Saturday, AlBurhan said, the former ruling party would have no role in the transition.”We will work together so that the National Congress Party is not part of the transition in any form,” he said.
Prime Minister Hamdok defends the agreement with the Sudanese army he is going through a deep economic crisis, although an influx of international economic support has started.
AlBurhan said he expects support to return once a civilian government is formed, saying the country will not reverse the reforms it has implemented over the past two years by reinstating grants or going back to printing.
“The international community, including the African Union, is watching what will happen in the coming days,” he told AFP news agency. “I think there are positive indicators that things will soon return [to how they were] soon.”
The formation of a civilian government will help matters, although Western nations and the African Union spoke against the coup, the diplomats say Russia, which tries to develop a naval base on the Red Sea coast of Sudan, has cultivated links with military leaders.
An agreement for the base has not yet been concluded, alBurhan told reporters:
“We hope that our relations [with Russia] will be strengthened by signing this agreement,” he said. “The consultations are continuing and we are working on the agreement until it is acceptable and legal.”
