Sudanese army chief on Thursday said he remained committed to a plan for a new transition towards elections, despite disagreements over the terms of the deal that twice delayed the signing, reported The Print.
On December 5, the Sudanese military and political forces inked a framework agreement aimed at resolving the country’s months-long crisis that followed an October 2021 coup. The agreement calls for the formation of a civilian-led government and is strongly backed by the international community.
The agreement, which finalizes the details of power-sharing between the military and civilian leaders, was previously planned to be signed on April 1. But the signing was postponed to April 6, Thursday. The signing of the deal was postponed for a second time on Wednesday as the army and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) could not finalize what commitments they would make on military restructuring. No new date for the signing has been announced.
In a statement commemorating the April 6 sit-in anniversary, Sudanese army chief and Sovereign Council head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said he remained committed to the political process and that the delay was needed to lay solid frameworks that preserve the momentum of the revolution.
Notably, April 6 is a symbolic date for Sudan’s civilian opposition. It marks the fourth anniversary of a 2019 sit-in that resulted in the overthrow of long-time autocratic ruler Omar al-Bashir. The transition toward full civilian rule in Sudan, however, was halted in October 2021 by a military coup led by army commander General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan.
On Thursday, pro-democracy activists in Sudan came out on the roads to protest against the army and paramilitaries. The protesters could be heard chanting “No militia can rule a country”.
The protesters marched in the capital as well as several other cities. They were faced with heavy tear gas fired by Sudanese security forces.
