Thousands of protesters marched towards the presidential palace in Khartoum ahead of an expected meeting between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Demonstrators carried Sudanese flags on Sunday as well as pictures of those killed during recent protests against last month’s coup, and shouted chants against al-Burhan. Tear gas was fired by security forces at protesters as they approached the presidential palace. The march followed reports that Sudan’s military plans to reinstate Hamdok and release detained civilian leaders after last month’s military coup. Fadlallah Burma Nasir, head of the Umma Party, confirmed the deal to reporters. A group of Sudanese mediators also released a statement on the agreement. “A political agreement has been reached between General Burhan, Abdalla Hamdok, political forces and civil society organisations for Hamdok’s return to his position, and the release of political detainees,” said Nasir. Hamdok will form an independent cabinet of technocrats and all political detainees will be released under the deal between the military and political parties, Nasir said. He added he took part in a meeting late on Saturday in which mediators reached the agreement. The Sovereign Council will hold a meeting on Sunday before announcing the deal, said a source with knowledge of the talks. The agreement comes more than three weeks since General al-Burhan derailed Sudan’s transition towards civilian rule with a coup. On October 25, al-Burhan declared a state of emergency, dissolved the interim government, and arrested the civilian leadership – drawing widespread international condemnation and provoking people to take to the streets. Hamdok was placed under house arrest when the military seized power. Sudan’s military lifted restrictions on his movement and removed the security forces that were stationed outside his home on Sunday, his office said. The takeover ended a transitional partnership between the military and civilian groups that helped topple former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A statement from the mediators said the deal was reached following an agreement among political factions, ex-rebel groups, and military figures. “The agreement will be officially announced later today after the signing of its terms and the accompanying political declaration,” it said.
