A fresh wave of protests has erupted in Sudan and among its diaspora communities across the world, following a new attempt by military leader Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan to tighten his grip on power.
From October last year Burhan led the rolling coup against the transitional government, less than three years after a popular uprising toppled longstanding military dictator (and his former commander) Omar al-Bashir (Currents, NI 535). On 4 July he announced that the military would withdraw from the current negotiations aiming to resolve the country’s political crisis, putting the onus on warring civilian factions to create a new transitional government. The Sovereign Council, which brings together military and civilian figures, will be dissolved. In its place Burhan announced the formation of a Supreme Military Council – wresting security, defence and other undefined ‘related responsibilities’ away from any civilian influence – and effectively kneecapping any future transitional government. Burhan continues to promise that the military will eventually step aside and make room for a truly democratic government, but pro-democracy activists remain sceptical.
