Sudan’s ruling military general, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, who led a coup nearly a year ago, has said he will not run in future elections for a civilian-led government, reported The Africa News. However, he didn’t give any details about the timeline on when a vote might happen in order for him to relinquish power.
Gen. Al-Burhan spoke with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
Asked if he would consider running in future elections, the Sudanese military general replied: “I don’t think so.”
“I do not have a desire to put myself forward (as a candidate) nor do I want to continue in this work,” he added.
Instead, he said the gridlock lies with Sudan’s political groups that need to agree on a date for the vote. He insisted the military had no role in that discussion.
Gen. Al-Burhan said they are talking about political participation and widening that participation, person will not succeed without a wide base to rule Sudan. He said the only authority to rule is through elections, with no one imposing their will on another.
Burhan ensured that once an elected government is in place, the armed forces would be another institution of that government rather than retain a higher status.
Notably, Sudan has been mired in political turmoil since last three years. According to the International Monetary Fund, Sudan’s economy has teetered and inflation was expected to hit a staggering 245% this year.
Since the coup last October, protesters have marched through the streets demanding the military hand over power to civilians. They’ve denounced Burhan’s takeover, which occurred when the military dissolved the transitional government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as the Sovereign Council, a power-sharing body of military officers and civilians that had been ruling Sudan since late 2019.
