Today, Thursday, the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council in Sudan, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, issued a decision appointing 15 ministers in a new caretaker government, hours after he met with an American delegation headed by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs Molly Fe.
A statement issued by the Sovereign Council said that the decision included the appointment of Ali Al-Sadiq Ali as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Muhammad Abdullah Mahmoud as Minister of Energy and Oil, and Othman Hussein Othman as Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
The decision also included the appointment of Haitham Muhammad Ibrahim as Minister of Health, Engineer Daw al-Bayt Abdul Rahman Mansour as Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, and Graham Abdul Qader as Minister of Culture and Information.
⭕ During their meeting in Khartoum, the Sudanese and American sides stress the need to launch a comprehensive national dialogue for political and societal forces...
Published by the Transitional Sovereignty Council - Sudan on Thursday, January 20, 2022
new deal
Earlier today, Thursday, the Sovereignty Council agreed with an American delegation to form a government of national competencies and to hold free and fair elections in Sudan.
This came during a meeting with the President of the Sovereign Council, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), with the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Fee, and the US envoy to the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield, according to a statement of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council.
The two sides agreed on the need for the Sudanese parties to enter into a comprehensive national dialogue that includes all political forces, in order to reach a national consensus to get out of the current crisis.
The agreement also included the necessity of making amendments to the constitutional document to keep pace with current developments in the country.
For its part, the US embassy said that Washington will not resume its economic aid to Sudan, which was suspended after the actions of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on October 25, unless violence stops and a civilian-led government returns.
This decision comes in light of the continuing protests in the country, and in the wake of demonstrations in Khartoum and a number of cities in the country, yesterday, Wednesday, under the slogan "Loyalty to the Martyrs" condemning the killing of demonstrators and calling for civilian rule.
And last Monday, protests in Khartoum resulted in 7 deaths and 167 injuries, including 52 with live bullets, according to the (non-governmental) Sudan Doctors Committee.
political crisis
In August 2019, the Military Council and the Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change (the former ruling coalition) signed the “Constitutional Declaration” and “Political Declaration” documents regarding structures and power-sharing in the transitional period and the formation of a government headed by Abdullah Hamdok.
Since last October 25, Sudan has witnessed protests in response to exceptional measures taken by the army chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, most notably the imposition of a state of emergency and the dissolution of the Sovereignty Councils and the transitional ministers, which political forces consider a "military coup", in exchange for the army's denial.
On November 21, Al-Burhan and Hamdok signed a political agreement that included the return of Hamdok to the presidency of the transitional government, the formation of a government of competencies, and the release of political detainees.
But on January 2, Hamdok resigned from his position, in light of protests rejecting his agreement with Al-Burhan and demanding full civilian rule, especially with the deaths of 72 people killed in the demonstrations since last October, according to the (non-governmental) Sudan Doctors Committee.