Mass Protests Expected in Khartoum
A major protest will be held today in Khartoum, Sudan.
Protests have been continuous in the country since a military coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan overthrew the civilian transitional government in late October. This specific protest is a reaction to the controversial reinstatement of interim Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok following a political agreement struck with the military last Sunday.
The international community has welcomed the agreement with the hope that it will bring stability to Sudan as the country becomes increasingly entangled in Ethiopia’s civil war. However, domestic reactions have been more negative: twelve cabinet ministers resigned over the agreement after they were not allowed into a cabinet meeting, and the pro-democracy opposition has condemned the agreement as an attempt to legitimize last month’s coup.
Expect protests to continue as the agreement does not involve any true return to civilian government. Facing an incipient refugee crisis and border clashes in Ethiopia, the military may be pushed to back down and allow civilians back into the transitional administration if an internationally backed agreement can be brokered. Given the risk of instability spreading in the Horn of Africa if protests continue, several countries may be willing to act as brokers.
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