Al-Burhan dismissed civilian members from council, protests mount

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On Wednesday, Sudan's coup leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan laid off his last civilian members of the Sudanese Sovereign Council after he announced that the council will dissolve to make way for a technocrat government. 

Protesters took to the streets again in protest of the pledge. In Khartoum, hundreds of women protesters chanted "The blood of the martyrs did not flow in vain," addressing protesters who have been killed in the violence. The protesters, furthermore, demanded that the soldiers return to the barracks.

In a military coup, Al-Burhan grabbed power last October - a move that drew international condemnation. On Monday, in a surprising move, he announced that he will allow civilian groups to form a technocrat, transitional government. Last year, a transitional government was uprooted by Burhan. 

While a civilian government will be formed, concerns are being raised about the establishment of a new "Supreme Council of the Armed Forces," which will be a body in charge of defense and security, according to Al-Burhan. This body would integrate the regular army with the Rapid Support Forces, his paramilitary group. 

"The armed forces will not stand in the way" of democratic transition, Al-Burhan said yesterday in his address, affirming the military's commitment to working towards "elections in which the Sudanese people choose who will govern them."

A key Forces of Freedom and Change member Yasser Arman said that the "intention is to choose a prime minister who is a wolf in sheep's clothing and takes his orders from the military council".  

He argued that Al-Burhan's announcement is aimed at the "regional and international community, some of whose members are looking for quick solutions."

Sudan has been grappling with political turmoil since October 25, 2021. Toward the end of June, four Sudanese demonstrators were killed after being shot in the chest with a live round in the city of Omdurman as per the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD).

On October 25 last year, Al-Burhan spearheaded a military coup that halted a collaboration between the army and civilian parties that was supposed to lead to democratic elections, igniting months of protests and international condemnation.