Sudan’s main opposition bloc has categorically rejected as a “ruse” an alleged offer by the army to enable transfer of the country’s rule to a “civilian” structure.
The Forces for Freedom and Change passed the remarks on Tuesday, a day after Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan—whose power grab has removed the FFC—pledged in a surprise move to “make room” for civilian groups to form a new transition government.
The FFC called for “continued public pressure” on the streets and dismissed al-Burhan’s move as a “tactical retreat and a transparent maneuver.”
“The coup leader’s speech is a giant ruse, even worse than the coup,” FFC leader Taha Othman said.
“The crisis will end with the coup leaders resigning and the forces of the revolution forming a civil government,” he said.
The Sudanese military, led by al-Burhan, seized power in October 2021, after detaining Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian leaders and dissolving the year-old transitional government as well as the joint ruling military-civilian sovereign council formed after the 2019 ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.
Back then, al-Burhan declared a state of emergency and vowed to form what he called a competent government. The move drew anger and outrage across the North African country and sparked international condemnation, including from the United Nations Security Council.
The country has been rocked by protests ever since, leaving scores of people dead and hundreds more injured. Hundreds of activists have also been arrested in the clampdown under emergency laws.