Sudanese ruling military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Sunday issued another warning to Islamists and other political factions against any interference in the country’s military affairs or in politics, amid ongoing talks with civilian parties to establish a non-partisan government, reported The Reuters.
“We’ll cut out the tongue of anyone who speaks on the military,” al-Burhan said in a speech at an army base west of the capital. “We warned the Islamists, as they have started interfering with the military, we told them to stay away from the military.”
Burhan led a coup on October 25 last year that halted the country’s transition to elections. Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades, was removed from power by the military in April 2019 following mass protests against deteriorating economic conditions in the country.
Last week, the army chief warned the Islamists to steer clear of the military, saying that the army does not belong to any party.
More than a year after the coup, the military and its former civilian partners and other political forces have begun U.N.-facilitated talks to agree on a new political framework.
However, Islamists loyal to former president Omar al-Bashir have criticised the military for seeking a partnership with pro-democracy civilian groups, and for what they say is allowing foreign interference from U.N. and western facilitators.
On Saturday thousands of Sudanese protesters from civil society organizations gathered outside the UN building in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to denounce foreign meddling in their nation’s internal affairs. The demonstrators are protesting against UN efforts to mediate between the nation’s military and civilian leaders. At least 119 people have lost their lives in protests so far.
They are demanding a civilian government to lead the nation out of its current political crisis and voiced opposition to the transitional constitution put forth by the Sudanese Bar Association, which plans on banning activities by the National Congress Party, the Islamist movement of former leader.
