Following the resignation of Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, the EU and the Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States) urged, on Tuesday 4 January, all Sudanese stakeholders to commit to an inclusive dialogue for an immediate return to a democratic transition, warning that they “ will not support a prime minister or government appointed without the involvement of a broad range of civilian stakeholders”.
In a Joint Statement issued on Tuesday evening by the European External Action Service, the EU and the Troika underscored their “continued support for the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people” and pay tribute to Abdallah Hamdok, who “has played a major role in leading Sudan’s democratic and economic reforms”.
He announced on Sunday that he was throwing in the towel after another day of demonstrations, including two deaths, against the military regime led by General Burhane since the coup d'état last 25 October (see EUROPE 12836/14).
For the EU and the Troika, the resignation of the civilian Prime Minister, “two months after the military’s unconstitutional seizure of power, reinforces the urgent need for all Sudanese leaders to recommit to the country’s democratic transition and deliver on the Sudanese people’s demands for freedom, peace, and justice”.
The EU and the Troika say they expect Sudanese stakeholders to work on the basis of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration on how to overcome the nation’s current political crisis, select new civilian leadership, and identify clear timelines and processes for the remaining transitional tasks – including establishing the legislative and judicial branches of government, creating accountability mechanisms, and laying the groundwork for elections.
“Unilateral action to appoint a new Prime Minister and Cabinet would undermine those institutions’ credibility and risk plunging the nation into conflict. To avoid this, we strongly urge stakeholders to commit to an immediate, Sudanese-led and internationally facilitated dialogue to address these and other transitional issues”, said the statement.
This dialogue “should be fully inclusive and representative of historically marginalised groups, include youth and women, and would help put the country back on the path to democracy”.
The EU and the Troika say they “look forward to working with a government and a transitional parliament, which enjoy credibility with the Sudanese people and can lead the country to free and fair elections as a priority”.
This “will be necessary to facilitate the European Union and the Troika’s provision of economic assistance” to Sudan. In the absence of progress, on the other hand, they warn that they “would look to accelerate efforts to hold those actors impeding the democratic process accountable”.
The EU and the Troika state that they “continue to hold the military authorities responsible for human rights violations”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)