- Hamdok has been under arrest in his residence since the coup d’etat of Oct. 25 coup.
- Pro-democracy activists oppose the military’s involvement in governance.
- Security forces circulate to disperse protests in Khartoum.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was, on Sunday, November 21, 2021, reinstated with a promise by the military to free all political detainees after several weeks of unrest caused by a coup d’etat. The streets have been filled by large crowds of protesters who rejected any resolution to the crises that involves a deal with the military.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was first appointed as prime minister upon the ousting of Omar al – Bashir in a 2019 uprising. A settlement has been reached and it proposes that the Prime Minister will lead a transitional technocratic civilian government.
However, this settlement is strongly opposed by pro-democracy organizations which have demanded complete civilian rule since the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir. The death of protesters had further aggravated the situation.
Abdalla Hamdok was considered a hero by many after the uprising. However, there is a feeling in some quarters that he has been compromised.
All these have fuelled the protests in the capital city of Khartoum and cities of Omdurman and Bahri, many of which were scheduled protests, and with participants numbering in tens of thousands.
Live bullets have been used by security forces in a bid to disperse the crowd resulting in the death of a 16-year old protester in Omdurman who died from a gunshot wound.
The protesters and their sympathizers feel disillusioned by the treachery of Hamdok with no other alternative but the streets.
The coup caused mass demonstrations in opposition to the army and medics aligned with the protesters saying safety forty-one civilians were killed in an increasing number of violent crackdowns.
During the signing ceremony of the deal, on state television, Hamdok stated he had agreed to the deal to prevent further loss of life. He further stated that no one will be excluded except Bashir’s former ruling party, the National Congress Party.
The Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) has described the deal as “illegitimate and unconstitutional” and a way to legitimize a coup d’etat. FFC, a civilian coalition, was in a power-sharing government with the military before the coup. They and others in resistance to the new arrangement have been mobilizing the protests.
