By Faith Nyasuguta
Citizens against Sudan’s transition to democracy have called on the nation’s military to seize control of the nation.
Over the weekend, several thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace amid a deepening political crisis in Sudan.
Since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, both the military and civilian groups have been sharing power.
Tensions have however been on the rise since a September coup attempt tied to Bashir’s allies.
Since then, army chiefs have been calling for reforms to the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition, a civilian alliance that led the anti-Bashir protests and formed a significant part of the transitional government.
Presently, the armed forces have called for the replacement of the cabinet.
The civilian leaders however claim that the demands are part of a power grab from the armed forces.
On Saturday, pro-military demonstrators chanted “down with the hunger government” and called for General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the armed forces and Sudan’s joint military-civilian Sovereign Council, to instigate a coup and seize control of the country.”
“We need a military government, the current government has failed to bring us justice and equality,” one protester said.
Different from past demonstrations, protesters were allowed to reach the gates of the presidential palace with little police presence.
Further, the pro-protestors have scheduled a rally for Thursday in response to Saturday’s demonstrations.
On Friday, Sudan’s civilian Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok, revealed a plan to tackle what he dubbed the country’s “worst and most dangerous” political crisis in its two-year transition.
“I am not neutral or a mediator in this conflict. My clear and firm position is complete alignment to the civilian democratic transition,” he said.
Hamdok became Prime Minister in August 2019, after mass protests saw the military step in and oust Bashir after a 30-year-rule in April.
However, support for the transitional government has plummeted in recent months as economic reforms spearheaded by Hamdok have seen fuel subsidies slashed and inflation rise.
