Sudan PM Abdalla Hamdok announces resignation

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Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced Sunday his resignation.

"The transitional government in Sudan suffered from various challenges, but it was able to deal with all of them," he said in his resignation speech.

"The latest agreement with the military component was an attempt to bring all parties to the negotiation table," he said, explaining his controversial agreement with army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

The agreement stipulated that Hamdok would be reinstated to his earlier position, and all political prisoners imprisoned since the October coup would be released.

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) rejected the political agreement between the Army Chief Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, describing it as "treason" and an "attempt to legitimize the coup."

The former prime minister stressed that he made his best effort to enhance freedoms and lift the country off the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, get Sudan out of international isolation and reintegrate it into the international community.

"The crisis in Sudan today is political, but it is on its way to becoming a comprehensive one," he asserted.

"The transitional government was successful in resolving some issues and failed on some others, and our government was able to forgive many debts, and we had hoped to reduce 90% of our foreign debt. Our people achieved miracles when they had a united will," the prime minister noted.

Hamdok explained that he only became Prime Minister after a political agreement, underscoring that the transition was very fragile with plenty of obstacles due to the political divide, "As the possibility of dialogue became nonexistent between all parties, and the dispute between the rulers was reflected upon the performance and efficacy of the state on various levels."

"The political agreement had clauses about curbing the escalation and prioritizing the best of Sudan's interests, and the post-October 25 agreement was an attempt at bringing together all parties to finish what was left of the transitional period. After that agreement, we signed the agreement with the military component so as to preserve the achievements made."

The story behind Sudan's protests

Thousands of Sudanese people have been demonstrating against the military following the coup that toppled the government in Khartoum, and their protests have been met with a crackdown, which has so far claimed the lives of 56 people and injured hundreds.

The former prime minister said then the signing of the political agreement stopped the bloodshed of the Sudanese youth.

Hamdok's resignation comes after the Sudanese forces killed Sunday two protestors in Omdurman, which was reported by medics.

The Sudanese Doctors' Committee said one of the protesters was shot in the chest, while the other suffered a "severe head wound."