Sudanese transit 2019–2022. From al-Bashir’s dictatorship to al-Burhan’s dictatorship?

Abstract

On April 11, 2019, the army forced the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan. The reason for that was the incessant many months of people’s uprisings. The resignation of al-Bashir did not satisfy the demonstrators and they began to demand the dismantling of the entire regime. In response, the army elite created the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to govern the country and tried to pacify the protesters by force. Under strong pressure from the international community and the Sudanese street, the army compromised with the civilian opposition. In Sudan, a transitional period to democratic rule was proclaimed and a civil-military Sovereign Council was established to replace the TMC. A transitional government headed by Abdullah Hamdok was soon formed. The country began to take measures for improving the economy and the socio-political system. However, the reforms of the Transitional Government threatened to undermine the economic and political position of the military in Sudan. On October 25, 2021, the head of the Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, carried out a coup d’état, removing civilian politicians from power. The coup was condemned by leading Western countries, which froze their aid programs to Sudan. In Khartoum and other major cities of Sudan, a mass protest movement has again unfolded under the slogan “No to negotiations, compromise and partnership with the army”.