As protests against the imposition of emergency measures and the dissolution of the government continue, the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced that a new government will emerge within a week, adding that the military forces will select a technocrat as Prime Minister. In statements to the Russian news agency "Sputnik," he said, "I hope that the Prime Minister and members of the Sovereignty Council will be chosen within a week at the latest." He continued, "We will choose a Prime Minister who will belong to the technocrats. We will not interfere in the choice of ministers."
Al-Burhan also stated, "The former Prime Minister was chosen through consensus among political and military forces, and now the political forces are not present. We have a national responsibility and a commitment to lead the transitional phase until elections are held." He clarified that military forces would not interfere in the selection of ministers; instead, they would be chosen by the Prime Minister, who will be agreed upon by various sectors of the Sudanese people, saying, "We will not interfere in who he selects to participate in the government."
Al-Burhan confirmed in statements made yesterday evening that the armed forces took the actions on October 25 because they are "keen to correct the course of the revolution," which ousted former president Omar al-Bashir. He also emphasized the military's commitment to conducting elections and maintaining the democratic path of governance.
In other comments, he indicated that he had sent a delegation to Abdullah Hamdok, the Prime Minister whose government was previously dissolved, to consult regarding the government, saying, "We told him... continue the journey with us... and we still have hope." He added, "We told him we have cleared the field for him now... he is free to form the government, we will not intervene in the formation of the government; whoever he brings, we will not interfere at all."
It is noteworthy that the armed forces commander, who was a partner with Hamdok in the Sovereignty Council, announced last Monday the dissolution of the government and the Sovereignty Council, the imposition of a state of emergency, as well as the suspension of the constitutional document. This followed a campaign of detentions that took place in the capital Khartoum early that day, which included ministers, politicians, and leaders of parties and forces of Freedom and Change. The detentions also included Hamdok himself, but al-Burhan later stated that he was a "guest in his home" and was returned home on Tuesday.
