CAIRO, July 4 (Reuters) – Sudanese military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Monday the army would not engage in internationally-led dialogue efforts to break its standoff with the civilian opposition, urging political and revolutionary groups , to start talks to form an interim government.
Last October, the Sudanese military staged a coup and ousted an interim government formed after President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2019.
The military takeover sparked frequent mass rallies calling for the army to abandon politics. The United Nations and the African Union have spearheaded mediation efforts to break the deadlock as the economic crisis deepens, but there is little sign of progress.
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Burhan was speaking on TV as protesters in the capital Khartoum increased pressure on the military rulers by holding days-long sit-ins over the deaths of nine civilians during anti-military rallies on Thursday. To see also : The Boston Museum of Fine Arts enters into a work contract with the workers. Continue reading
About 2,000 people took part in a sit-in near the city center on Monday afternoon, a Reuters witness said.
On Monday, Burhan said the army’s decision not to attend the talks was to allow political and revolutionary groups to form a government. Since the coup, most civilian groups have refused to negotiate with the military, leading to the current standoff.
He called on civil groups to engage in serious dialogue to bring the country back to a democratic transition. The military will work to implement the results of the dialogue, he said.
Burhan said the ruling Sovereign Council he chairs, which includes military and civilian members, will be dissolved after a new government is formed.
A new Supreme Council of Armed Forces will then be created to be responsible for security, defense and related tasks in agreement with the government, Burhan said.
His comments did not further clarify what political role the armed forces would play in the future.
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Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Mahmoud Mourad; writing by Aidan Lewis; Edited by Frank Jack Daniel and Josie Kao
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