Sudan PM urges unity of military factions

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok yesterday announced an initiative to unify the factions steering the country through its transition phase following the ouster of long time dictator Omar Al-Bashir.

Local media reported Hamdok warning of “deeply worrying” fractures within the country’s security forces yesterday, and calling for reconciliation between civilians and military political factions who make up the transitional government.

“All the challenges we are facing, in my view, are a manifestation of a deeper crisis that is primarily a political one,” Hamdok told journalists.

He pointed to splits among pro-democracy activists who led the December 2018 protests against Bashir, adding that fragmentation within the military was also “a deeply worrying issue”. His initiative ensures armed groups are integrated into the armed forces and do not operate independently.

After mass protests erupted across Sudan in late 2018 calling for the “fall of the regime”, the army detained President Al-Bashir and declared a state of emergency. This was followed by a two-year transitional period which was led by a military-civilian council.

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