Sudan PM resigns amid protests marred by deadly violence
Sudanese PM Abdalla Hamdok announced his resignation, saying “another man or woman” should lead the country through a transition to civilian rule just over a month after he struck a power-sharing deal with the military.
"I decided to give back the responsibility and announce my resignation as prime minister, and give a chance to another man or woman of this noble country to ... help it pass through what’s left of the transitional period to a civilian democratic country," the outgoing prime minister said in his farewell address on Sunday.
The resignation comes amid a wave of anti-military protests that have rocked Sudan for months. On Sunday, doctors tied to pro-democracy activists claimed that two protesters were killed by the Sudanese security forces in the country’s most populous city, Omdurman. It has been alleged that dozens have been killed since the unrest erupted following the latest military coup in October that ousted Hamdok.
The putschists, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, however, soon struck a power-sharing agreement with Hamdok, reinstating him to the government. Hamdok was supposed to function as a technocratic head of the interim government until an election set for July 2023 is held, while the general appointed himself to lead the military-controlled Transitional Sovereignty Council. Al-Burhan vowed to refrain from running for political office in 2023.
The power-sharing arrangement did not sit well with many pro-democracy activists, who took to the streets to protest both the military, and Hamdok’s decision to sign a deal with the coup leaders.
Sudan has been in a state of political crisis since April 2019, when the military ousted the long-ruling president, Omar al-Bashir, from power.
