Sudan’s civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced his resignation from the country’s military-controlled government on Sunday evening in a televised broadcast.
Hamdok’s resignation comes following the reported deaths of two pro-democracy protesters. This is more than two months after being reinstated as part of a political arrangement with the military.
He said key players in the polity needed a roundtable discussion for a genuine transition to democracy.
“I have tried my best to stop the country from sliding towards disaster,” he said.
“In view of the fragmentation of the political forces and conflicts between the (military and civilian) components of the transition… despite everything that has been done to reach a consensus… it has not happened”, he said.
Sudan “is crossing a dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival”, he added.
His resignation throws Sudan’s political future even deeper into uncertainty, three years after an uprising that led to the overthrow of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.
An economist and former United Nations official, Hamdok became prime minister under a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilians following Bashir’s overthrow.
He was ousted and placed under house arrest by the military during a coup on October 25, before he was reinstated on November 21.