Sudan’s civilian force disowns Hamdok

KHARTOUM (ANGENCIES) – The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) dismissed reports about its support to the political agreement between Prime Minister Hamdok and the Chair of the Sovereign Council after a meeting between the former and some political leaders.

Abdallah Hamdok met on Tuesday with a delegation including 18 representatives of political forces members of the large coalition.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the FFC groups expressed their support for the political agreement signed on October 21.

“The Prime Minister and the leaders of the FFC Central Leadership Council stressed the need to urgently release all detainees in the capital and regions, protect peaceful processions, and ensure freedom of expression, demonstration and peaceful organization,” reads a statement released after the meeting.

The statement added that the meeting discussed the role of the political forces to explain and implement the political agreement with al-Burhan.

The FFC charter was signed in January 2019 by the political parties, armed movements, professional and civil society groups. But very quickly, the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) which gathers the armed group quit the coalition and signed a separate peace deal with the transitional government in October 2020.

During the one-month crisis, three SRF armed groups that rejoined the FFC in June 2021 remained in the Sovereign Council saying they were working to narrow the gaps and facilitate efforts to reach an agreement with Hamdok.

In a statement released after the meeting between Hamdok and some political leaders, the FFC rejected the outcome of the meeting based on its initial position from the bilateral agreement.

“Those who met with the prime minister did not have the mandate to represent the (FFC’s) Central Leadership Council during their talks and negotiations with the putschists and Dr Hamdok,” stressed the statement.

The statement was alluding to the involvement of some FFC leaders in the mediation to strike a compromise between Hamdok and al-Burhan.

Some leaders of the coalition, including Fadlallah Burma, head of the National Umma Party (NUP) were involved in the efforts undertaken by some Sudanese political leaders and civil society figures.

The meeting with Hamdok took place after a meeting held at the NUP premises which also serves as FFC headquarters, giving the impression that the Umma party was involved in the move.

Umma rejects

However, the NUP in a statement on Tuesday evening stressed their rejection of the coup and all that it has entailed.

“The agreement between Dr Abdallah Hamdok, Prime Minister, and Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is a bilateral agreement that did not include the FFC” which are party to the Constitutional Document signed with the military component, said the NUP.

The NUP further reaffirmed its support to the “revolutionary street” and called to take part in demonstrations organised by the Resistance Committees and the Sudanese Professionals Association on Thursday 25th of November.