Sudanese leader vows to establish civilian rule despite delay in signing political deal

Khartoum, Sudan | Xinhua | Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan vowed on Thursday to move forward toward establishing the civilian rule and completing the political process in Sudan.

His remarks came after the postponement of the signing of a political agreement to end the political crisis in the country, while mass demonstrations took place on the same day in the capital Khartoum and other cities, demanding the restoration of civilian rule.

“The postponement of signing the agreement tended to set solid frameworks to maintain the momentum and vigor of the revolution, and the parties were now working seriously to complete the discussion on the remaining issues,” Al-Burhan was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Council.

“We reaffirm our determination to proceed together on the same path to complete the ongoing political process as quickly as possible and in a way that closes the doors to all attempts to cripple this process,” he added.

The military and civilian leaders were scheduled to sign a final political agreement Thursday to end the political crisis in the country, but the signing has been postponed as the parties failed to reach a consensus regarding the security and military reform process and the integration of armed groups into the Sudanese army.

The Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance, for its part, said in a statement on Thursday that the signing of the final political agreement was delayed due to the resumption of the joint talks between the military parties regarding the technical aspects of security and military reform procedures.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government. Since then, the country has been rocked by regular street protests demanding the return of civilian rule. ■