Sudan's army chief promises to adhere to constitutional document

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan’s army chief reiterated Tuesday that the military does not intend to continue in power and vowed to adhere to the constitutional document and hold a dialogue with all political forces to complete the power structures during the transitional period.

Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan made the commitments at a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, according to a statement by the Sudanese Sovereignty Council.

He also promised to make the democratic transition process in the country a success, leading to free and fair elections in July 2023.

On Oct. 25, al-Burhan, who heads Sudan’s ruling military council, declared a state of emergency and dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and government amid rival protests and accusations between the military and politicians in the country.

Before the military takeover, Sudan was administered by a sovereign council of military and civilian officials which was overseeing the transition period until elections are held in 2023 as part of a precarious power-sharing pact between the military and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance.

In the statement, al-Burhan stressed that the military was not willing to continue its stay in power and expressed readiness to engage in dialogue “without preconditions" in a manner that would pave the way for stability and development in the country.

He also noted that steps to release political detainees who were detained following the military takeover have already begun as long as they are “not proven guilty of a criminal offense."

The statement said Phee reaffirmed US keenness and support for the country's democratic transformation and the success of the transitional period.

It also quoted Phee as acknowledging that "what happened on Oct. 25 was the result of failures during the previous period” and that “some political forces support the corrective measures."

Phee arrived in the capital Khartoum on Sunday on a three-day official visit to support the reaching of a solution to the Sudanese crisis.

On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Khartoum said on its Twitter page that Phee met with Sudan’s ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as Foreign Affairs Minister Mariam al-Mahdi.

The US assistant secretary discussed with Hamdok the “ways forward to restore Sudan’s democratic transition.”

Meanwhile, she reiterated to al-Mahdi US support for the civilian-led transitional government and praised her for being “a powerful voice for the movement to restore democracy and fulfill the aspirations of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace and justice.”

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar