Sudanese came out on the streets on Tuesday to demand for a return to civilian rule following a military coup last year, reported The Africa News.
The protesters were seen carrying posters criticizing the military as well as pictures of some of the 116 people that pro-democracy medics say have already been killed in a previous crackdown on the anti-coup protests.
There have been waves of demonstrations across different Sudanese cities since the armed forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan grabbed power in October. The coup ended the power-sharing administration between civilian leaders and army generals that was formed following the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
In July, Burhan pledged in a televised address to step aside and make way for Sudanese factions to agree on a civilian government. Civilian leaders dismissed the move as a “ruse”.
In related news, on Tuesday, Volker Perthes, the head of the UN mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), warned that amid continuing deterioration on a socio-economic level, Sudan’s overall situation is likely to worsen unless a political situation is found to restore a credible, fully functioning Sudanese civilian-led government.
Mr. Perthes said following last October’s military takeover, Sudan still lacks a fully functional and legitimate government. He said that the troubled country is in dire need of a government that can work to re-establish the authority of the State across the country and create the conditions for a resumption of international cooperation, including debt relief.
He said in the wake of the Sudanese military decision to withdraw from politics and the recent initiatives by civilian forces, there was now a window of opportunity for both, to reach an agreement on the way forward.
In June, the UN said a record 15 million people in Sudan, around one-third of the population, were facing “acute food insecurity” and warned the situation was likely to get worse.
