Prime Minister Joins Technocratic Government Under Military Leadership

On November 21, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and the military reached an agreement enabling him to be reinstated as the Prime Minister. The 14-point agreement calls for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup, and investigation will be conducted on the death and injuries during the military period. Also, the agreement stipulates that the 2019 Constitutional Declaration be the basis for the political transition. However, the parties stated that they will amend the declaration under mutual agreement to ensure inclusion of all parties, except the National Congress. Notably, however, the National Umma Party, the Sudanese Congress, and the Federal Gathering announced that they are not a party to any agreement between the military component and PM Hamdok. The Sudanese Congress Party and the Federal Gathering parties have both rejected this deal, standing with the people of Sudan in their rejection of the agreement. The military-civil power sharing agreement will continue despite the lack of respect the military has shown for the interim government and the will of the Sudanese people in light of the recent military coup. The interim government will oversee the transition as agreed upon by Article 8 of the declaration. It is important to note, however, that the military was required to transfer power in November; the two forces have now only agreed to transfer at the end of the election period in July 2023. Darfur Women Action Group is concerned by this preservation of the status quo given that the military has upended the democratic transition several times prior. Concerningly, the 14-point agreement is not public, thus, there is not enough context of the agreement. 

The Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), a political coalition of civilian and rebel coalitions of Sudanese groups, has stated that they reject the agreement between General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. In a statement, they stated: “there is no negotiation, no partnership, and no legitimacy for the putschists.The agreement did not address the roots of the crisis produced by the October 25 coup in the repeated circumvention of the revolution.” The Sudanese people have also rejected the agreement and continue protesting, demanding that the military be held accountable for its criminal coup and the death of innocent Sudanese protestors and get out of politics. 

DWAG remains skeptical about  this agreement, but welcomes the development and reinstatement of Prime Minister Hamdok.   DWAG encourages the release of political detainees and the investigation into the deaths and injuries during the military period but asserts that given the lack of transparency in the transitional justice process thus far, an independent investigation by the United Nations is essential. DWAG emphasizes that these steps are only the beginning. In agreement with the FFC, it is evident that the tenuous foundation of civil-military relations that led to the coup d’etat has not been changed. The root causes of the tensions have not been addressed and the military has not been held accountable for its violence against civilians. DWAG calls on stakeholders, including the United States government, the UN Security Council, and the international community as a whole to continue to advocate for accountability and ensure a successful transition to democracy. The full agreement between Prime Minister Hamdok and the military must be made available to the public. The military and this new “government” must also ensure that internet access is restored to the people of Sudan, as accessible internet is essential to a free and fair society as well as to exposing the true crimes of the Sudanese military.