Day 28 of the Military Coup
Summary of Events
Today, 28 days after military forcibly took power, they signed a political agreement with Abdalla Hamdok - released moments before from house arrest - reinstating him as Prime Minister of the transitional government. Among the stipulations of this new agreement:
Hamdok will select a new technocratic government, as the two parties “agreed to implement partnership in trust”
The new Sovereignty Council formed by Burhan will oversee remainder of transitional period.
The Constitutional Agreement will be reinstated and amended "to ensure inclusion of all parties except the National Congress Party". Note: Burhan has been releasing from prison and rehiring many NCP loyalists over the last 3 weeks, so this point stands to be called into question.
The anti-corruption committee is to be restructured. Note: this committee, which was originally set up as per constitutional agreement to reclaim assets taken by former regime and disband its remnants, was dissolved by Burhan when he took power on October 25.
An investigation is to be initiated into who is responsible for the recent deaths; to be tried for their crimes. Note: How this will happen when the same forces responsible are overseeing the transitional period and have decision-making power in it remains to be seen.
Immediate release of all political detainees. As of now, only Omer Aldigeir and Yassir Arman have been confirmed released, according to AlJazeera; there are unconfirmed reports that a handful of others, including Dr. Elassam and Wajdi Salih, remain in custody under (new) criminal charges.
To quote analyst Lauren Blanchard: “if Sudan's new government is formed out of an agreement 'based on the decisions of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces' as result of a coup, and without civilian input (other than the Prime Minister, who was in detention), can it credibly be called "civilian-led"?” As we watch the international community (the UN, Troika and others) congratulate the Sudanese people (and themselves) for this 'success', how can this agreement be considered legal? How is it legitimate?
In a short statement made at the signing ceremony, Hamdok claimed this was the right move to "stop the bloodshed". The agreement comes as a blow to the Sudanese people; with an overwhelming feeling of betrayal felt on the streets.
The Forces of Freedom and Change, whom had originally chosen Hamdok to become Prime Minister in 2019, has publicly rejected the agreement. The streets, which had already planned to protest in the fourth nationwide mass demonstration since October 25, immediately denounced the agreement as well as Hamdok.
Streets across the country swelled with outrage and rejection of military rule and the new agreement well into the evening. Besides Khartoum, mass demonstrations took place in 21 confirmed cities and towns; the accurate number is likely higher.
Several cities reported violence from the coup authorities, including Rabak in White Nile State, where students were shot with teargas and live ammunition; in Kassala, they were attacked with rubber bullets and teargas, with some injuries reported. In Khartoum, live ammunition and teargas were used on protesters as the agreement signing was in progress.
In Omdurman, 16 year old Yousif Abdelhamid is the latest life taken by coup forces, shot in the head on the same day that an agreement to stop the bloodshed was signed. He is the 41st person to be killed since October 25, as reported by the Sudan Central Doctors Committee.
Countless people across the country remain in unlawful detention by coup forces. The resistance continues, including another mass demonstration, which was already planned for November 25 as part of this week's schedule of activities set by resistance committees.