Sudanese generals agree civilians will choose top leaders

Leaders of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council agreed on the appointment of a prime minister and head of state by civilian political forces, said the council’s deputy chairman on Friday.

“The meeting with Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, on Thursday firmly agreed that the civilians are to select civilian heads for the sovereign council and the cabinet,” Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said in a statement published on the website of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday.

Dagalo, who is also the Commander of the RSF, stressed strict adherence to his previous pledges that the military establishment would exit the political scene to completely devote itself to its tasks stipulated in the constitution and the law.

He further expressed hope that the revolutionary forces would reach consensus on the formation of a full civilian government to complete the tasks of the transitional period, in a manner that lays the foundations for a real democratic transformation, the statement said.

He stressed the importance of coordination and cooperation among all the Sudanese to remove the difficulties facing the transition process and create a conducive environment to move forward to achieve people’s aspirations in building a stable and democratic state.

On July 4, Al-Burhan announced that the military establishment would not participate in the political talks facilitated by the international community to pave the way for the civil groups to form an independent government.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Al-Burhan, also the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.

Since then, the capital Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule.