Sudan PM Abdallah Hamdok resigns amid unrelenting civil unrest

Sudan’s Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok, has announced his resignation in a televised address to the Sudanese people this evening. His resignation comes just hours after at least three civilians were killed as Sudanese security forces violently suppressed another wave of the Marches of the Millions, that saw hundreds of thousand take to the streets across the country to express their rejection of the military coup d’état of October 25, and the subsequent political agreement, signed by Hamdok with coup leader Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan.

In this evening’s address, Hamdok underlined that he was unable to combine all the components of the transition to reach a unified vision, describing the crisis in the country as political, but it gradually, includes all aspects of economic and social life.

He pointed out that there are many challenges facing the country, stating: “I decided to give back the responsibility and announce my resignation as Prime Minister, and give a chance to another man or woman of this noble country to help it pass through what’s left of the transitional period to a civilian democratic country.”

Frustration

Hamdok’s resignation comes just six weeks after he was released from house arrest and reinstated in terms of a political agreement signed with Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and leader of the military junta that seized power in a coup d’état on October 25.

As reported by Radio Dabanga last week, informed sources told Radio Dabanga that Hamdok had already told a group of political and national figures in a meeting on December 18 about his “deep frustration and dissatisfaction“ concerning the charter for a new government, and his abandonment by political forces, in addition to the obstacles and difficulties of the military regarding the implementation of his plans in the transition process.

In November, Hamdok said that he will tender his resignation if the Sudanese people see that the political agreement, signed with the coup leader El Burhan, does not serve their interests.

Analysts have said that the controversial agreement is “an intermediate stage that allows avoiding the worst effects of the coup, including bloodshed, international isolation, and Sudan’s return to its former pariah status in the international community”.

US-based Sudanese analyst in African affairs and a specialist in conflict areas Dr Suliman Baldo, said in an interview with Radio Dabanga last month that all economic programmes that were in the process of tackling the economic crisis have been radically halted.He added that the El Burhan-Hamdok agreement has a very specific/limited mission in this aspect.Its only condition is that the civilian Council of Ministers enjoy full executive powers according to what is stipulated in this framework.

“Otherwise,” Baldo says, “the PM has no choice but to resign, together with his ministerial staff”. He added that “If the purpose of the return of Hamdok is to give an undeserved and unjustified legitimacy to the military coup, the international bodies will not recognise this matter even if Hamdok is prime minister”.

Violence

In the weeks since the coup, Sudan has seen an unrelenting series of pro-democracy mass protest marches and manifestations, called by Resistance Committees and opposition forces across the country. These have consistently been met by violence from a strong military presence, and Sudanese doctors confirm that at least 56 civilians have died, dozens raped or sexually assaulted, hundreds injured, and hundreds more detained, prompting international condemnation and outrage.

End December, Sovereignty Council civilian member Abdelbagi El Zubeir and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Haisam Ibrahim handed their resignation, citing the excessive violence used against peaceful protesters as their main motive.