Sudan opposition: ‘El Burhan-Hamdok agreement a false attempt to legitimise coup’

The much fêted agreement signed in Khartoum yesterday between Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, leader of the military junta that seized power in a coup d’état on October 25, and Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, who had been under house arrest since the coup, to return the country to democratic transition in terms of the Constitutional Document, has been cautiously welcomed by the international community, but categorically rejected by a wide spectrum of Sudan’s political and civil forces, professional bodies, and resistance committees, stressing their quest to bring down the coup.

The Central Council of the FFC – the main drivers of the revolution that overthrew the 30-year Al Bashir dictatorship in 2019, and convenors of an ongoing campaign of civil disobedience and mass demonstrations since the coup –announced in a statement that it is not concerned with any agreement with what it described as “the brute junta,” stressing that “there is no negotiation, no partnership, and no legitimacy for the putschists”. In a statement, the council stressed the need to bring the leaders of the coup to immediate trial for the crimes of undermining the regime, killing peaceful demonstrators, and enforced disappearances.

The council emphasised working by all peaceful means to overthrow the coup with all the forces of the revolution.

In a separate statements, the National Umma Party, the Sudanese Congress, and the Federal Gathering announced that they are not a party to any agreement between the military component and PM Hamdok.

El Watheg El Bereir, Secretary-General of the National Umma Party, stressed that the party rejects any political agreement that does not go into the roots of the crisis produced by the coup, including the killing of revolutionaries.

The Sudanese Congress Party announced that it would not participate in any negotiations to reach an agreement between the leaders of the coup and PM Hamdok, demanding that the coup plotters and perpetrators of violations be brought to justice.

The Federal Gathering affirmed its alignment with the street position and the escalation of the political struggle against the junta, until it hands over power to a purely civilian government.

The mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nour announced its strong rejection of the El Burhan-Hamdok political agreement. El Nour affirmed the movement’s “firm, principled and moral stance with the people’s revolution, resistance to the coup and its peaceful overthrow, and the establishment of a civilian government according to a national project, as advocated by the glorious December revolution slogans”.

The Sudanese Professionals Association said that the agreement between Hamdok and El Burhan is “just a false attempt to legitimise the recent coup and the authority of the Military Council, and a political suicide for Abdallah Hamdok”.

In a statement yesterday, the Association announced its total rejection of what it described as an agreement of treachery and subservience.

It called for dropping “the blood partnership and everyone who joins it” and stated that “the treacherous agreement” comes in response to the declared goals of the putschists in re-empowering the remnants and perpetuating the authority of Al-Bashir’s Security Committee.

The Director of the University of Khartoum, Dr Fadwa Abdelrahman, submitted her resignation in protest against the agreement.

The Democratic Lawyers Association also announced its rejection of the political agreement signed between El Burhan and Hamdok, saying that “the agreement is an attempt to abort the escalating revolution against the coup, and is working to rescue the coup leaders from the impasse”.

The Darfur Bar Association question’s PM Hamdok’s qualification to sign the agreement, and argues that “the Constitutional Document does not grant Hamdok the right to conclude any political agreement or declaration on behalf of the forces mentioned in it”.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in all parts of Sudan yesterday, rejecting any negotiation or partnership with the leaders of the coup.

From the Arab world, the Arab League, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia all welcomed the agreement

The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, considered that this agreement came as a result of huge and continuous Sudanese efforts, with Arab and international support, made over the past weeks to get out of the crisis that the country witnessed and to make the transitional period a success, leading to the holding of elections at its conclusion.