Sudan's PM Hamdok resigns

KHARTOUM: The Prime Minister of the Republic of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok has resigned from his post weeks following protests which engulfed the capital Khartoum, in what could shape the politics of the Horn of Africa nation 

His resignation comes just weeks after being kicked out by the military following a struggling transition, only to find his way back after pressure from several stakeholders, including but not limited to the United States.

On Sunday night, Hamdok, who reconciled with military generals in November 2021, said his position was no longer tenable. He added that a new deal was needed to save the country from possible collapse.

Just after his return after the coup, Hamdok kicked out several police chiefs in radical changes that were held. Further, he promised to steer the country to democratic processes as requested by stakeholders.

Hamdok, a former United Nations official seen as the civilian face of Sudan’s transitional government, was reinstated in November amid international pressure in a deal that called for an independent technocratic cabinet under military oversight led by him.

That deal, however, was rejected by the pro-democracy movement, which insists that power be handed over to an entirely civilian government tasked with leading the transition.

Throughout December 2021, security forces disrupted many civilian protests geared towards pushing the government to respect democratic gains in the northern Africa country, which is yet to recover from the ghosts of the strongman Omar al-Bashir.

Thousands had taken to the streets in Khartoum and other cities across the country to denounce the military takeover and a subsequent deal that reinstated the prime minister but sidelined the pro-democracy movement.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors [CCSD], which is part of the pro-democracy movement, on Sunday said one of the dead was hit “violently” in his head while taking part in a protest march in Khartoum.

The second was shot in his chest in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman, the group said, adding that dozens of protesters were injured. Sunday’s fatalities brought the death toll among protesters since the coup to at least 56, according to the medical group.

The popular uprising in 2019 led to the jailing of al-Bashir, but the country is yet to recover, given the military refused to hand over powers to the civilians completely. The US has particularly been pushing for the civilian government in the country.

Hamdok had promised radical strategy changes in terms of the democratic and economic growth of the country, and the US was in the process of dropping several terror-related sanctions imposed against the government.