Sudanese army to hand power over only to civilians: Al-Burhan advisor

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Brigadier General Taher Abu Haja, the media advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, confirmed Saturday that "the army will only hand over power to those chosen by the Sudanese people, and there is no room for ruling the transitional period by force," stressing "the army's commitment that the government of the rest of the transitional period is a government of competencies, national, independent, non-partisan, and having the approval of political forces.

Abu Haja said, according to what was reported by the Sudan News Agency (SUNA), that "Sudan, its people, land, security and transitional period are the responsibility that the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces is entrusted with."

The Sudanese advisor added that "this secretariat will only be handed over to those chosen by the Sudanese people, and there is no room for ruling the transitional period by force and political cunning," stressing that the armed forces "have the responsibility, under the text of their law and the country's constitution, to protect the country's security and stability."

He continued, "We are committed to the withdrawal of the military institution from political work, and this is something the Commander-in-Chief mentioned since July 4. We are also committed to making what remains from the government of the transitional period an independent, non-partisan one and a government of national competencies that is not subject to any quotas, and we are committed to making this happen by consensus among all political forces; we will only hand over power to a government agreed upon by all Sudanese people or an elected government."

Following a meeting with the head of state General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said on Friday that Sudan's military leaders agreed to civilian political forces naming a prime minister and head of state.

The statement added that military generals "would exit the political scene and focus fully on its duties as laid out in the constitution and the law" following the appointment of a civilian government, as per the statement.

Sudan's military seized power in an October coup, breaking a power-sharing agreement with civilian pro-democracy parties and plunging the country into political and economic chaos.

As mediation efforts failed, civilian groups have called for the military to completely exit politics.

Reuters reported that Burhan met with ambassadors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates earlier this week to resolve the political crisis.

Last Sunday, the Steering Committee of the Sudanese Bar Association handed over to international mediators a draft of the transitional constitution, stipulating the removal of the army from power and the annulment of all decisions taken by the coup authority on October 25 last year, and the subsequent international and regional decisions or agreements.

Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan announced last July the army's readiness to withdraw from the political scene after the formation of a civilian government.

Hundreds of demonstrators continue their protests against the military leadership, against the background of measures taken by Al-Burhan on October 25 last year.

These measures led to the dissolution of the civilian government headed by Abdullah Hamdok and the suspension of some provisions of the constitutional document signed between the military component and civilians, in September 2019, which was considered by civilians as a “coup against the legitimate authority and a disruption of the constitutional document.”