Islamists wield hidden hand in Sudan conflict. Burhan calls for Sudan’s young civilians to fight against RSF

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: This article shows a photo of Hemeti dated 2019. Not seen his face since he was demoted to a rebel. Two unverified voice messages from him are online. Can't find news of his whereabouts. Is he still alive? No-one's asking. Rumours online say he's in a Kenyan hospital, not true says Kenyan President Ruto in a recent video news report. 

Four writers of this article use the words "conflict" and "war"to describe Sudan's current crisis. Many writers casually use the words "war" and "genocide" whether true or not. Words have power. Young people now rely on social media for news, mainstream media is not seen as trustworthy. 

The article is followed by a cartoon from a report at Radio Dabanga titled 'El Burhan calls for Sudan's 'young and capable' civilians to fight against RSF'. 

The caption for the cartoon says 'Civilians who were killed for their protests against the actions of the military and Rapid Support Forces are now being asked to defend Sudan for Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan. 

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Article at Reuters.com
By Khalid Abdelaziz

Writing by Michael Georgy and Aidan Lewis, Editing by William Maclean
Published June 28, 2023, 5:05 AM GMT+1 - here is a full copy:

Exclusive: Islamists wield hidden hand in Sudan conflict, military sources say

Summary

• Ex-intelligence agents fighting alongside army-sources
• Army has leant on Bashir-era veterans since 2021 coup
• Conflict pits army general against ex-militia leader

[1/5]Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the military council and head of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), greets his supporters as he arrives at a meeting in Aprag village, 60 kilometers away from Khartoum, Sudan, June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

DUBAI, June 28 (Reuters) - Thousands of men who worked as intelligence operatives under former president Omar al-Bashir and have ties to his Islamist movement are fighting alongside the army in Sudan's war, three military sources and one intelligence source said, complicating efforts to end the bloodshed.

The army and a paramilitary force have been battling each other in Khartoum, Darfur and elsewhere for 10 weeks in Africa's third largest country by area, displacing 2.5 million people, causing a humanitarian crisis and threatening to destabilise the region. Reinforcements for either side could deepen the conflict.

The army has long denied accusations by its rivals in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that it depends on discredited loyalists of Bashir, an Islamist long shunned by the West, who was toppled during a popular uprising in 2019.

In response to a question from Reuters for this article, an army official said: "The Sudanese army has no relation with any political party or ideologue. It is a professional institution."

Yet the three military sources and an intelligence source said thousands of Islamists were battling alongside the army.

"Around 6,000 members of the intelligence agency joined the army several weeks before the conflict," said a military official familiar with the army's operations, speaking on condition on anonymity.

"They are fighting to save the country."

Former officials of the country's now-disbanded National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), a powerful institution composed mainly of Islamists, confirmed these numbers.

An Islamist resurgence in Sudan could complicate how regional powers deal with the army, hamper any move towards civilian rule and ultimately set the country, which once hosted al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, on a path for more internal conflict and international isolation.

Reuters spoke to 10 sources for this article, including military and intelligence sources and several Islamists.

In a development indicative of Islamist involvement, an Islamist fighter named Mohammed al-Fadl was killed this month in clashes between RSF forces and the army, said family members and Islamists. He had been fighting alongside the army, they said.

Ali Karti, secretary general of Sudan's main Islamic organisation, sent a statement of condolences for al-Fadl.

'OUR IDENTITY AND OUR RELIGION'

"We are fighting and supporting the army to protect our country from external intervention and keep our identity and our religion," said one Islamist fighting alongside the army.

Bashir's former ruling National Congress Party said in a statement it had no ties to the fighting and only backed the army politically.

The army accused the RSF of promoting Islamists and former regime loyalists in their top ranks, a charge the RSF denied. Army chief Abdel Fattah Burhan, who analysts see as a non-ideological army man, has publicly dismissed claims that Islamists are helping his forces. "Where are they?" he cried out to cheering troops in a video posted in May.

The military, which under Bashir had many Islamist officers, has been a dominant force in Sudan for decades, staging coups, fighting internal wars and amassing economic holdings.

But following the overthrow of Bashir, Burhan developed good ties with states that have worked against Islamists in the region, notably the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Gulf states provided Khartoum with significant aid.

Nowadays, former NISS officers also help the military by collecting intelligence on its enemies in the latest conflict. The NISS was replaced by the General Intelligence Service (GIS) after Bashir was toppled, and stripped of its armed "operations" unit, according to a constitutional agreement.

Most of the men from that unit have sided with the army, but some former operations unit members and Islamists who served under Bashir entered the RSF, one army source and one intelligence source said.

"We are working in a very hard situation on the ground to back up the army, especially with information about RSF troops and their deployment," said a GIS official.

Reuters Graphics

BASHIR-ERA VETERANS

The army outnumbers the RSF nationally, but analysts say it has little capacity for street fighting because it outsourced previous wars in remote regions to militias. Those militias include the "Janjaweed" that helped crush an insurgency in Darfur and later developed into the RSF.

Nimble RSF units have occupied large areas of Khartoum and this week took control of the main base of the Central Reserve Police, a force that the army had deployed in ground combat in the capital. They seized large amounts of weaponry.

But the army, which has depended mainly on air strikes and heavy artillery, could benefit from GIS intelligence gathering skills honed over decades as it tries to root out the RSF.

On June 7, fire engulfed the intelligence headquarters in a disputed area in central Khartoum. Both sides accused the other of attacking the building.

After Burhan and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, carried out a coup in 2021 which derailed a transition to democracy, Hemedti said the move was a mistake and warned it would encourage Islamists to seek power.

Regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the UAE had seen Sudan's transition towards democracy as a way to counter Islamist influence in the region, which they consider a threat.

Publicly, the army has asserted its loyalty to the uprising that ousted Bashir in 2019.

But after the military staged a coup in 2021 that provoked a resurgence of mass street protests, it leaned on Bashir-era veterans to keep the country running. A taskforce that had been working to dismantle the former ruling system was disbanded.

Before the outbreak of violence, Bashir supporters had been lobbying against a plan for a transition to elections under a civilian government. Disputes over the chain of command and the structure of the military under the plan triggered the fighting.

About a week after fighting broke out in April, a video on social media showed about a dozen former intelligence officials in army uniforms announcing themselves as reserve forces.

The footage could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Several senior Bashir loyalists walked free from prison in Bahri, across the Nile from central Khartoum, during a wider prison break amid fighting in late April. The circumstances of their release remain unclear. Bashir is in a military hospital.

[2/5]Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir addresses supporters during his visit to the war-torn Darfur region, in Bilal, Darfur, Sudan September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo

[3/5]A Sudanese national flag is attached to a machine gun of Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers as they wait for the arrival of Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the military council and head of RSF, before a meeting in Aprag village 60, kilometers away from Khartoum, Sudan, June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo 

[4/5]A burned vehicle is seen in Khartoum, Sudan April 26, 2023. REUTERS/El-Tayeb Siddig/File Photo

[5/5]Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan walks with troops, in an unknown location, in this picture released on May 30, 2023. Sudanese Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

View original: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/islamists-wield-hidden-hand-sudan-conflict-military-sources-say-2023-06-28/

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Post script from Sudan Watch Editor:

Cartoon by Omar Dafallah, published in Radio Dabanga's report below.

Caption: Civilians who were killed for their protests against the actions of the military and Rapid Support Forces are now being asked to defend Sudan for Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan 

- Cartoon by Omar Dafallah (RD)

Read more in report at Radio Dabanga, Thur 29 Jun 2023: El Burhan calls for Sudan’s ‘young and capable’ civilians to fight against RSF https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/el-burhan-calls-for-sudans-young-and-capable-civilians-to-fight-against-rsf )

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- - -

UPDATED Fri 30 Jun 2023 00:25 GMT+1 - added the following:

Report at Sudan Tribune

Published Tues 27 Jun 2023 - here is an excerpt:

Burhan calls on Sudanese youth to join the army

Sudan’s political parties have called for an end to the war and negotiations to integrate the RSF ahead of an inclusive political conference. For their part, the armed groups in Darfur that have signed a peace deal have declared their neutrality.

The SPLM-N, led by Malik Agar, is now fighting alongside the army after its full integration. In contrast, the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu in the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile has recently launched attacks against the Sudanese army, speaking about its failure to protect civilians.

Al-Burhan announced a one-day truce on the first day of Eid and reaffirmed the commitment of the armed forces to transfer power to a civilian government chosen by the Sudanese people. He further denounced the ongoing violations against civilians in Darfur as “ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

Read more: https://sudantribune.com/article274719/

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UN Security Council Darfur Sudan meeting 23 June

NOTE from Sudan Watch Ed: The UN Security Council members are holding closed consultations on Sudan today. The UK, the penholder on Sudan, requested the meeting. Violence in Darfur will be a key focus of the meeting.

Incidentally, I saw or heard in a report or video former ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo recently saying something like this: 

“The international community is like a unicorn, everyone knows what a unicorn looks like but in reality it doesn’t exist.”

My point is, it would be refreshing to see Africans putting pressure on the African Union to excel and make Africa proud. The West is busy countering Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a very large country in eastern Europe. 

Read more. Beige highlighting is mine for easy future reference.

Report at What's In Blue - securitycouncilreport.org

Published Thursday 22 June 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudan: Consultations

Tomorrow afternoon (23 June) Security Council members are expected to hold closed consultations on Sudan. It seems that the inter-communal violence in Darfur will be a key focus of the meeting. The UK, the penholder on Sudan, requested the meeting. Edem Wosornu, the Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division, is expected to brief.

Sudan has been grappling with the devastating consequences of fighting that erupted on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader and chairperson of the Transitional Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. 

A 13 June Humanitarian Update estimated that at least 866 people had been killed and 6,000 injured in Darfur since the outbreak of hostilities. However, casualty rates may be much higher at this point, with some reports indicating that 1,100 people have died in the West Darfur capital of El Geneina alone since April. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicates that approximately 1.965 million people have been displaced within Sudan and over 531,566 people have fled the country since 15 April.

The escalating violence in Darfur has been marked by inter-communal fighting, with Arab militias supporting the RSF and targeting non-Arab groups in Darfur. The inter-ethnic component of the fighting has raised alarm among several Council members. Some members appear to be concerned about the potential for inter-communal fighting to spin out of control, recalling the conflict in Darfur in the 2000s that claimed the lives of over 300,000 people.

Since mid-April, the fighting has been particularly severe in West Darfur, leading to high levels of insecurity and grim humanitarian effects. In addition to high casualty rates, more than 280,000 people have been displaced in West Darfur, with roughly 150,000 crossing the border into Chad to escape the violence. Civilians have reportedly been targeted as they make their way to the Chadian border. Media reports have indicated that the SAF has not protected civilians targeted by the RSF and allied militias. OCHA reported in its 13 June update that hospitals and electrical stations are not functional in El Geneina. 

Amidst the spiking inter-communal fighting, West Darfur governor Khamis Abakkar was abducted and killed on 14 June, shortly after accusing the RSF and affiliated militia of atrocities in El Geneina during a television interview.  It has been reported that the RSF was responsible for the assassination, although it has denied the allegation.

Several UN officials have continued to speak out against the violence. On 13 June, Special Representative and head of UNITAMS Volker Perthes released a statement in which he expressed his alarm at the situation in El Geneina, referring to an “emerging pattern of large-scale attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities, allegedly committed by Arab militias and some armed men in Rapid Support Forces (RSF)’s uniform”. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths released a statement on 15 June in which he observed, “Darfur is spiraling into a humanitarian calamity.”  

Remarking on the inter-communal violence in the region, he added that the world could not allow a repeat of “the ethnic tensions that stoked the deadly conflict there 20 years ago”. On 19 June, Secretary-General António Guterres called the situations in Darfur and Khartoum “catastrophic”, underscoring his concern about reports of gender-based and sexual violence and asserting that “[t]argeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities could amount to crimes against humanity”.

In tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are likely to condemn the violence in Sudan and emphasise the need for a ceasefire and for unfettered humanitarian access. Some members may raise concerns about reports of sexual violence in the conflict. 

There may also be questions about command-and-control issues in relation to RSF operations in Darfur; in this regard, members may be interested in knowing the degree to which Arab militias are operating on their own initiative as opposed to fighting in coordination with the RSF.  

Members may also be interested in OCHA’s perspective on allegations that the SAF is failing to protect civilians in Darfur. Another concern that may be raised is the regional implications of the fighting in Sudan; regarding the fighting in West Darfur, members may want to learn more about the humanitarian and security effects of the influx of refugees from West Darfur into Chad.

Some Council members may also express concerns about how the UN can most effectively manage the significant operational challenges facing the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), and the difficult relations between the Sudanese government and Special Representative Volker Perthes. When Perthes briefed the Council on 23 May, he announced that “the hostilities compelled us to temporarily relocate many of our staff to Port Sudan and outside Sudan”.  On 8 June, the government of Sudan declared Perthes “persona non grata”, which prompted UN Secretary-General António Guterres to recall, through his spokesman, that “the doctrine of persona non grata is not applicable to or in respect of United Nations personnel and its invocation is contrary to the obligations of states under the Charter of the United Nations”.

While the meeting will focus largely on the humanitarian situation, some members may emphasise the need to exert the leverage on the parties to find a resolution to the conflict.  Various mediation initiatives have failed to gain meaningful traction, including those led by the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and Saudi Arabia and US. The Sudanese military has been critical of both the AU and IGAD processes. In a BBC radio interview on 4 June, Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, declared that “Sudan is not part of the African Union’s initiative”, noting its suspension from the AU, which occurred following the October 2021 coup. Regarding the IGAD initiative, the Sudanese government issued a statement on 15 June rejecting the sub-regional body’s decision to appoint Kenya to succeed South Sudan in leading the mediation, accusing Kenya of adopting “the positions of the rebel Rapid Support Forces”.  Although the Saudi-US facilitated talks have resulted in several short-term humanitarian ceasefires, these have by and large failed to hold.

Council members have been following the deteriorating situation in Sudan closely since the outbreak of fighting in mid-April, although difficult dynamics continue to hamper the Council’s approach to Sudan. When the Council renewed the mandate of UNITAMS in early June, it did not include references to the recent developments in the country, as some members—including China, Russia, and the A3 (Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique)—apparently opposed adding new language to the draft resolution concerning the humanitarian, political, or security situations in Sudan. In lieu of including such language in the resolution, Council members issued a press statement that condemned the looting of humanitarian aid and attacks on civilians, while emphasising the need for a permanent ceasefire and a resumption of the process towards democracy in Sudan. While the penholder had originally proposed a presidential statement, it was converted to a press statement—an informal outcome with less political clout—after some members expressed reservations about the format of the outcome.

Tags: Insights on Africa, Sudan, Sudan (Darfur)

Original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/06/sudan-consultations-2.php

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IGAD picks Kenya to spearhead peace, democratic transition in Sudan

NOTE, This means that Nairobi, Kenya (where UN SRSG Volker Perthes has set up an office :) will begin hosting delegations of politicians, civil society, community-based organisations and opinion leaders to deliberate on returning Sudan to the democratic process. Friendly Kenyans are popular.

Interestingly, Kenya-South Sudan relations are bilateral relations between South Sudan and Kenya. South Sudan is a strategic partner of Kenya in many areas. Both countries have cultural similarities as many people from South Sudan lived in Kenya before independence. 

Read more in the report here below.

Photo: When Kenya President William Ruto  shook hands with South Sudan President Salva Kiir after he was inaugurated as the 5th president of Kenya at Kasarani Stadium. [PCS]

Source: The Standard 1mo ago ’Sudan violence: Ruto, Kiir and Guelleh to broker peace deal in Khartoum’  

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Report at The Standard standardmedia.co.ke

By Jacob Ng’etich 

Dated Tuesday 13 June 2023 - full copy:

Igad picks Kenya to spearhead peace, democratic transition in Sudan

Photo: When Malik Agar, deputy leader Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council signs visitors book after he arrived at JKIA on May 28, 2023. [Mwangi Maina, Standard]

Kenya has been picked to spearhead the dialogue between warring factions in Sudan and take the conflict-ridden country towards a democratic political dispensation at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) summit in Djibouti.

This means that Nairobi will begin hosting delegations of politicians, civil society, community-based organistions and opinion leaders to deliberate on returning Sudan to the democratic process.

During consultations with members of the Igad High-Level Delegation on the ongoing political situation in Sudan, they agreed that Kenya should commence a two-track conflict resolution process in the interim to resolve the current crisis and bring the voice and aspirations of the people of Sudan for a democratic transition in line with the Political Framework Agreement.

"Revitalizing the dialogue towards a democratic political dispensation. As I have indicated from the start Kenya will be honored to facilitate this track. I am confident that the successful implementation of these two tracks will lead to the resumption of the final phase of the political process," said President William Ruto while making his Trilateral proposal on Sudan.

An armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan began on April 15, when clashes broke out in cities, with the fighting concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region.

Thousands of people have been killed and many more injured following attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on government sites. Airstrikes, artillery, and gunfire were reported across Sudan including in Khartoum.

RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" and Sudan's de facto leader and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan have disputed control of government sites, including the general military headquarters, the Presidential Palace, and Khartoum International Airport.

All the proposals by Kenya were adopted including the declaration of an unconditional ceasefire where Ruto noted that the step was crucial to facilitate a negotiated settlement of the dispute, preventing further loss of life, destruction of property, and damage to critical infrastructure.

The proposal he said will also ensure that the people of Sudan have access to essential public services that are necessary for their well-being.  

Other proposals adopted by the Igad special summit include the establishment of a humanitarian demilitarized green zone spanning a radius of thirty 30 to 50 kilometers in Khartoum, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict and establish an IGAD-Led mechanism to monitor and provide security for the green zone. 

Ruto asked the international community to support this green/demilitarized zone and urged the UN to scale up humanitarian assistance and engage with the people committees on the ground to ensure that aid is effectively targeted and delivered to those who are in dire need of support.

The Kenyan government's proposal that was adopted was to have Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir lead a mediation between the leadership of the SAF and RSF.

"I would propose that President Kiir makes arrangements for the 3 of us to meet with the two Generals, or their representatives, at a convenient place or even virtually, to secure their commitment to peace. In order to secure the entire country, this line of action should build on the Juba process and continue engaging with all armed groups in Sudan to prevent them from becoming spoilers to the process," said Ruto.

Ruto said that the conflict continued unabated with disproportionate humanitarian crises and unprecedented negative spillover effects in our region.

"Until now, the efforts made to halt the war have been unsuccessful. Six ceasefires in total have failed to remain intact. Regrettably, the conflicting parties have not fully embraced and adhered to the ceasefire. 

Unfortunately, despite a recent announcement of a 24-hour ceasefire on Friday evening, all indications point to an escalation of the conflict since Saturday, rather than de-escalation," said the President.

Presently, Ruto said, Khartoum was experiencing extensive destruction, as strategic installations are being destroyed and residential properties are being converted into command centres and the civilian population was being forcibly engaged in the war effort.

He noted that it was disturbing that the civilians are also enduring incidents of robbery, rape, physical violation, and even murder which must be condemned, as they go against the laws of war that mandate combatants to safeguard civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance, and protect strategic and service installations. 

"Our region is beginning to feel the effects of the war, which include the displacement of Sudanese citizens and the strain on trade relations and other forms of cooperation. As a result, it is incumbent upon us to take the lead in resolving this crisis. We must stand in solidarity with Sudan and work towards the restoration of peace and the advancement of development for its people," said Ruto.

Play video: https://youtu.be/w63KuE2wev4

Related reports

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View original: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/africa/article/2001475049/igad-picks-kenya-to-spearhead-peace-democratic-transition-in-sudan

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Sudan’s Burhan names post-coup transitional council

HERE is a copy of report published at France24.com

Dated Thursday 11 November 2021 - 21:47

Written by Agence France-Presse (AFP) 

Sudan’s Burhan names post-coup transitional council without main bloc demanding civilian rule

Burhan on October 25 dissolved the government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, detained the civilian leadership, and declared a nationwide state of emergency, sparking a wave of international condemnation.

His latest announcement comes just two days ahead of planned mass protests against the coup.

In New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the latest developments were "very concerning."

"We want to see a return to the transition as quickly as possible," he told reporters.

"We want to see the release of the prime minister as well as all other politicians and leaders that have been detained."

At a closed-door Security Council meeting, UN special envoy Volker Perthes warned that "the window now is closing for dialogue and for a peaceful resolution", according to Britain's ambassador Barbara Woodward

Sudan's information ministry, which has remained loyal to the deposed government, quoted ousted minister Hamza Baloul as saying the council's formation was "an extension of the coup measures".

Under the decree, Burhan, who chaired Sudan's ruling council formed in August 2019 following president Omar al-Bashir's ouster, keeps the post.

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, remains his deputy in the 14-member council.

The mixed military-civilian body also retains Shamsaldine al-Kabashi, Yasser al-Atta, and Ibrahim Gaber, all senior army figures.

But the civilian representatives of the Forces for Freedom and Change, the umbrella alliance which spearheaded the anti-Bashir protests, were dropped from the council.

Among the civilian members is former parliamentarian Abou al-Qassem Bortoum, a businessman supporter of Sudan's normalisation with Israel.

Salma Abdelgaber from Al-Gazira state in central Sudan, Youssef Gad Karim from North Kordofan state, Abdelbaqi al-Zubair representing Khartoum state and Rajaa Nicola, a Copt, are also on the list.

Ex-rebel leaders Malik Agar, Alhady Idris and Altaher Hagar, who signed a 2020 peace deal with the government, also kept their seats.

One member from east Sudan has yet to be named pending consultations, according to state television.

International pressure

Last month's military takeover sparked nationwide anti-coup protests which were met by a bloody crackdown that left at least 14 people killed, according to medics.

Scores of pro-democracy activists have since been arrested as Sudan has largely remained under a rigorous internet outage.

On Thursday, the telecommunication authority said the internet cut was ordered to "safeguard national security" and would to remain in force until further notice.

A court ruling had ordered an end to the outage.

On Thursday, security forces arrested activist Mohamed Nagi al-Assam, according to an independent medics union.

Assam was a leading activist during the 2019 protests which led to Bashir's ouster.

The military power grab has triggered international condemnation, punitive aid cuts and demands for a swift return to civilian rule.

Burhan insists it was "not a coup" but a move to "rectify the course of the transition".

Sudan's army has said that the formation of a new civilian government is "imminent".

On Tuesday, Burhan met with diplomats from the US, UK and Norway who called for Hamdok's "restoration" to office and the release of all detainees.

"We discussed our strong desire to see Sudan's democratic transition put back on track. We warned against unilateral action," the diplomatic troika said.

Hamdok was briefly detained immediately after the coup but later placed under effective house arrest.

Last week, the military released four civilian members of the ex-government but key officials are still detained.

On Thursday, several EU ambassadors called for "a return to constitutional order".  (AFP)

VIDEO: In this May 17, 2021 file photo, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan attends a news conference during the International Conference on Sudan at the temporary Grand Palais in Paris, France. © Sarah Meyssonnier, Pool/Reuters/File

View video and two tweets at the original copy here: https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20211111-sudan-s-burhan-names-post-coup-transitional-council-without-main-bloc-demanding-civilian-rule

TMC, FFC initial amended constitutional declaration in Khartoum Sudan on Sunday 04 August 2019

Article from Gulf News

Written by Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Dated Sunday, 04 August 2019 15:28

Sudan generals, protest camp sign accord on road to civilian rule

A formal signing in front of foreign dignitaries is due to take place on August 17

General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (R), Sudan's deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, and Protest leader Ahmed Rabie shake hands after signing the constitutional declaration at a ceremony attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators in the capital Khartoum on August 4, 2019 AFP

Khartoum: Sudan’s army rulers and protest leaders Sunday signed a hard-won constitutional declaration that paves the way for a promised transition to civilian rule following more than seven months of often deadly street rallies.

The agreement, signed at a ceremony in Khartoum, builds on a landmark July 17 power-sharing deal and provides for a joint civilian-military ruling body to oversee the formation of a transitional civilian government and parliament to govern for a three-year transition period.

Protest movement leader Ahmed Rabie and the deputy head of the ruling military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, signed the declaration at the ceremony attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators.

“We turned a tough page of Sudan’s history by signing this agreement,” Daglo, who flashed a victory sign after making a short speech, told reporters.

Both sides flashed victory signs.

Image Credit: AFP

The signing was met by a wave of applause in the hall as representatives from both sides shook hands.

Overnight, thousands of jubilant Sudanese already took to the streets of the capital to celebrate when the deal was announced before dawn.

A formal signing in front of foreign dignitaries is due to take place on August 17 - the date on which ousted president Omar al-Bashir is due to go on trial on corruption charges - another protest leader, Monzer Abu al-Maali, told AFP.

The next day, the generals and protest leaders are expected to announce the composition of the new transitional civilian-majority ruling council, he said.

“Members of the ruling sovereign council will be announced on August 18, the prime minister will be named on August 20 and cabinet members on August 28,” Abu al-Maali told AFP.

Sunday’s accord was the result of difficult negotiations between the leaders of mass protests which erupted last December against Bashir’s three-decade rule and the generals who eventually ousted him in April.

Demonstrators hail ‘victory’

The talks had been repeatedly interrupted by deadly violence against demonstrators who have kept up rallies to press for civilian rule.

They were suspended for weeks after men in military uniform broke up a long-running protest camp outside army headquarters in Khartoum on June 3, killing at least 127 people according to doctors close to the protest movement.

They were briefly suspended again earlier this week when paramilitaries shot dead six demonstrators in the city of Al-Obeid, four of them schoolchildren.

On Saturday, the Arab League welcomed the agreement saying the signing of the constitutional declaration “would launch a new and important phase in line with the Sudanese people’s aspirations”.

General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (R), Sudan's deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, and Protest leader Ahmed Rabie sign the constitutional declaration at a ceremony attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators in the capital Khartoum on August 4, 2019. Sudan's army rulers and protest leaders today inked a hard-won constitutional declaration, paving the way for a promised transition to civilian rule. The agreement, signed during a ceremony witnessed by AFP, builds on a landmark power-sharing deal signed on July 17 and provides for a joint civilian-military ruling body to oversee the formation of a transitional civilian government and parliament to govern for a three-year transition period. / AFP / ASHRAF SHAZLY Image Credit: AFP

Sudan’s army ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan lauded the “long-awaited deal” in an interview on Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath.

Demonstrators among the crowds that took to the streets in the early hours hailed victory in their struggle for a new Sudan.

“For us, the revolution succeeded now and our country set foot on the road towards civilian rule,” said 25-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim as he joined the cavalcade of vehicles that criss-crossed the streets of Khartoum, horns blazing.

Fellow protester Somaiya Sadeq said she hoped there would now be justice for those who had given their lives.

“We have been waiting for a civilian state to seek fair retribution from the murderers of our sons,” she told AFP.

Doctors linked to the protest umbrella group, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, say a total of more than 250 people have been killed in protest-related violence since December.

Protest leaders have blamed much of the violence on the feared paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces, who sprang out of the Janjaweed militia notorious for alleged war crimes during the conflict in Darfur.

The military announced on Friday that nine of them had been dismissed and arrested on suspicion of involvement in this week’s fatal shootings in Al-Obeid.

Protest leaders said they had won the military’s agreement that the RSF irregulars would be integrated in the army chain of command.

SOURCE: https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/sudan-generals-protest-camp-sign-accord-on-road-to-civilian-rule-1.65626339

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(L to R) Ethiopian mediator Mahmoud Drir attends the signing of the constitutional declaration between protest leader Ahmad Rabie and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, Sudan's deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, at a ceremony attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators in the capital Khartoum on August 4, 2019 AFP

General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, Sudan's deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, celebrates after signing the constitutional declaration with a protest leader, at a ceremony attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators in the capital Khartoum on August 4, 2019.

CREDIT: The above two photos and captions from http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/342171.aspx