Sudan protest group rejects UN offer to talk to army
CAIRO (AP) – A leading Sudanese protest group on Sunday rejected a United Nations move to hold talks with the military aimed at restoring the country’s democratic transition after the October coup. Meanwhile, at least one protester has been killed when security forces violently dispersed anti-coup protests in the capital, activists said.
The move is a blow to international efforts to end the political stalemate in Sudan and suggests that the incessant street protests are likely to continue. More than 60 people have been killed since the military takeover.
Saturday’s UN offer came a week after the resignation of besieged Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, citing the inability to reach a compromise between the generals and the pro-democracy movement.
The October 25 coup undermined hopes for a peaceful transition, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the military overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government.
In a statement, the Sudanese Professional Association, which led the uprising against al-Bashir, said the “only way” out of the current crisis was to remove the generals from power. He is seeking a fully civilian government to lead the transition, underlined by the motto “No negotiations, no compromise, no sharing of power” with the military.
The SPA has been the backbone of the anti-coup protests, alongside youth groups known as the Resistance Committees.
Protesters continued their marches in Khartoum on Sunday as security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters near the presidential palace, activist Nazim Sirag said.
Security forces also opened fire on protesters in the capital Bahri district. At least one protester was killed and another was shot in the leg, Sirag said.
Healthcare workers, who joined Sunday’s protests, called on the government to ensure the safety of hospitals, which have been repeatedly stormed by security forces during the protests.
A young protester, meanwhile, died in hospital on Sunday from his injuries, the Sudanese Committee of Physicians said. Alaa el-din Adel, 17, was shot in the neck during Thursday’s protests in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.
Volker Perthes, the UN envoy for Sudan, said the talks would be inclusive in trying to find a “sustainable path to democracy and peace” in the country.
“It’s time to end the violence and start a constructive process. This process will be inclusive, ”he said.
While the envoy has yet to provide details on the UN-facilitated political process, the rejection of SPA is a blow to its efforts to bring generals and the pro-democracy movement to the negotiating table.
Perthes plans to provide more details at a press conference in Khartoum on Monday.
The SPA said Perthes’ moves had been “controversial”, citing his efforts to back a deal Hamdok stuck with the military in November that reinstated him but sidelined the pro-democracy movement.
“He must listen carefully to the goals of our proud people and their revolutionary forces to establish a fully civilian national government,” he said.
World and regional powers hailed the UN initiative.
The United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates urged all Sudanese actors to “seize this opportunity to restore the country’s transition to civil democracy” in accordance with the 2019 construction document establishing the transitional government.
At the United Nations, five countries – the United States, the United Kingdom, Albania, France and Norway – have called for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Sudan. Diplomats said it would likely take place on Tuesday or Wednesday.