Sudanese protesters came out in the streets of the capital Khartoum in huge number, ahead of the one year anniversary of a military coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan that derailed the country’s transition to democracy, reported The Africa News. On October 25, 2021, Burhan led a putsch that ousted the mainstream civilian bloc from power.
According to reports, the Sudanese demonstrators gathered in Khartoum and other cities on Friday, demanding an end to the military rule and return of the military to the barracks.
Friday also marked the 58th anniversary of the first uprising that toppled a military dictatorship in the country. In 2019, Sudan’s longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir was toppled following months of protests against his rule.
After the coup, a power-sharing deal was signed between the country’s military and civilian leaders, before it was upended by Burhan’s coup.
At least 117 people have lost their lives in the protests against military rule so far, according to pro-democracy medics. The coup spurred Western donors to suspend aid, contributing to a funding crisis for the Sudanese economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts Sudanese real GDP will contract 0.3% this year, before expanding 2.6% in 2023.
In a tweet on Thursday, the United States embassy in Sudan has warned of further violence and called on Sudanese security forces to refrain from using violence against protestors.
According to people familiar with the ongoing US-brokered talks, the Sudanese military and a group of political opponents are reportedly close to a deal that aims to resolve the ongoing crisis by restoring a civilian prime minister and guaranteeing the army some independence,
Last week, Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Sudan and head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), revealed that talks between the military and civilian counterparts regarding solutions are ongoing.
