Sudan’s deposed prime minister and the top general that ousted him a month ago signed a breakthrough deal Sunday to reverse the military takeover, but protests continued and a teenager was killed.
Thousands of demonstrators in multiple rallies rejected the deal, shouting “No to military power” and demanding the armed forces fully withdraw from government. A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed in Khartoum’s twin city Omdurman, medics said, bringing the overall death toll since last month’s coup to 41.
Several other people suffered gunshot wounds after clashes with security forces, they added.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appeared at the presidential palace in Khartoum for a televised ceremony with a haggard looking premier Abdalla Hamdok, emerging from weeks of house arrest.
Burhan thanked Hamdok for his service and vowed that “free and transparent elections” would be held as part of the transition process.
“He was patient with us until we reached this moment,” Burhan said before posing for photos with the reinstated premier and his own deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The deal was welcomed by the African Union, the United Nations, Sweden as well as Saudi Arabia and Egypt who have strong ties with the Sudanese military.
The African Union said it was “an important step towards the return to constitutional order”. The UN stressed the “need to protect the constitutional order to safeguard the basic freedoms of political action, freedom of speech and peaceful assembly”.
Norway, which has been involved in crisis talks since the coup, called for “concrete confidence-building measures”.
But thousands rallied again in Khartoum and across Sudan on Sunday, and were confronted in the capital by security forces who fired tear gas Police deny firing live ammunition and insist they have used “minimum force” to disperse the protests. They have recorded only one death among demonstrators, in north Khartoum.
The main civilian bloc which spearheaded the anti-Bashir protests and signed the 2019 power-sharing deal with the military strongly rejected Sunday’s agreement.
“We affirm our clear and previously declared position that there is no negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy for the coup,” said the mainstream faction of the Forces for Freedom and Change.
The Sudanese Professionals’ Association, an umbrella of unions instrumental in bringing down Bashir, described Sunday’s agreement as “political suicide” for Hamdok.
At one north Khartoum rally, protesters also chanted anti-Hamdok slogans and ripped up his portrait. “Hamdok is weak but the streets are powerful,” they shouted. Hamdok has truly let down the people,” said protester Mohamed Abdelnabi. “This deal doesn’t represent the Sudanese people.”
Thousands also rallied in Omdurman, as well as in the eastern state of Kassala, the restive eastern coastal city of Port Sudan and the northern city of Atbara, witnesses said.
Source: Reuters
In other news – Kamo Mphela and Cassper Nyovest stand up for Uncle Waffles
Kamo Mphela and Cassper Nyovest joined scores of Mzansi peeps who defended Uncle Waffles against Slik Talk recently. The YouTuber made nasty comments about the trending DJ.
The vlogger slammed Uncle Waffles for riding on Young Stunna’s wave. He agreed with peeps who claimed Uncle Waffles is benefiting from Young Stunna’s track. Learn more
