Sudan: Civilian Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok announces his resignation

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok resigned on November 21, 2021 in Khartoum when he returned to power with the military © AFP

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3 min

The UN economist who became Prime Minister of Sudan Abdallah Hamdok announced his resignation this Sunday, January 2, 2022 in the evening, after another day of demonstration during which at least three people were killed.

Hamdok had returned to power less than two months ago, as part of a political agreement reached with the military.

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He finally announced his resignation on Sunday, in a televised address to the nation.

" 

 ”, he explained in particular.

But because of the "fragmentation of political forces and conflicts between the components of the transition", he saw no other solution than to resign.

This resignation will not surprise the Sudanese.

Hamdok had repeatedly threatened to quit the political agreement he had reached with the junta for lack of consensus.

He had struggled to find civilian volunteers to join him in forming a government.

The Sudanese, many of whom

, saw him as a "

" who helped the military "to

".

Three people were killed by the security forces, according to the association of doctors close to the protest movement during the day of demonstrations.

Takeover of the army in October

In August 2019, he embodied the hope of handing over power to civilians: for a time he was to share the leadership of this great East African country, one of the poorest in the world, with the army. almost always at the helm since independence.

Then, this gray mustached 65-year-old returned to Sudan in the wake of the "revolution" which overthrew Omar al-Bashir in 2019 would have taken over the reins.

He was reportedly surrounded only by civilians to organize the first free elections after three decades of military-Islamist dictatorship.

But on October 25 at dawn, soldiers disembarked at his home, taking him with his wife to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The army chief announced shortly after dissolving all the country's institutions and effectively put an end to the democratic transition.

From "hostage" to "traitor"

A month later, on November 21, the Prime Minister, who had come to power thanks to the support of supporters of a complete transfer of power to civilians, was released from house arrest.

He found himself in the same post under the terms of a disputed agreement with the same General Burhan, who had pledged to release all political prisoners.

At the same time, he became for the street, which for a long time had demanded the release of its hero "

", a "

" who, by allying with the army, in fact facilitated "

 " .

►

Abdallah Hamdok, for his part, pleaded good faith, assuring that he wanted to “ 

 ” in the face of a repression that had left about fifty dead and to safeguard “ 

 ” in the country which is still beginning its return to the world. concert of nations.

But on December 19, for the third anniversary of the launch of the “ 

 ”, he recognized “ 

 ”, denouncing violence and political deadlock.

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• Abdallah Hamdok

• Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

• Sudan