Divided civilian movements deepen political crisis in Sudan

Contributor

Nation Media Group

Sudan completed another week in the dark on just how to form a government accepted by civilian groups, amid violence and deaths in the capital Khartoum.

And while the protests have been all against the junta, it turns out divisions within civilian movements could also be hurting any steps towards a lasting solution.

These local, international and regional moves come on the impact of a severe political crisis that has exacerbated after the resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok from the post. Opposition activists have continued to protest since the Sudanese army chief, Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on October 25, took power by force and dissolved the Transitional Sovereign Council he chaired, and detained a number of ministers and declared a state of emergency in the country. He also put Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest, which he only came out of after agreeing to form a new government. Hamdok resigned on January 2 after failing to harmonise demands of civilians and the junta. Amid the chaos, Sudan’s junta is also facing the dilemma of authorising the budget for the new fiscal year, after political developments cast a heavy shadow on the situation, especially with the internationally backed transitional government dissolved.