The Sudanese military will leave politics after elections that are scheduled for 2023, said Sudan Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan during one of several interviews he gave to international news agencies on Saturday.
Al-Burhan told Reuters news agency: “When a government is elected, I don’t think the army, the armed forces, or any of the security forces will participate in politics. This is what we agreed on and this is the natural situation.”
Even though he eventually reinstated ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to lead a technocratic Cabinet until elections in July 2023, the general had led a military takeover in late October, upending Sudan’s transition to civilian-led democracy.
The coup had ended a partnership with civilian political parties after the toppling of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir and drew international condemnation after the detention of dozens of key officials and crackdowns on protesters.
While rejecting any compromise, including the deal with Hamdok on November 21, neighbourhood resistance committees and political parties have called for the military to exit politics immediately.
According to local medics, during the demonstrations, at least 44 people have died, many from gunshot wounds from security forces.
Meanwhile, adding that security forces had only dispersed non-peaceful protests, al-Burhan expressed that “investigations regarding the victims of the protests have begun to identify who has done this … and to punish the criminals.”
