Sudan's Burhan Says Army Will Only Hand Over Power to Elected Gov’t

Head of Sudan’s Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (AFP)
Head of Sudan’s Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (AFP)
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Sudan's Burhan Says Army Will Only Hand Over Power to Elected Gov’t

Head of Sudan’s Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (AFP)
Head of Sudan’s Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (AFP)

Head of Sudan’s Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in controversial statements from Darfur that the army will only hand over power to an elected civilian government or if a national consensus is reached.

His remarks were made on Wednesday while presiding over a meeting of the Permanent Ceasefire Committee of the Juba Peace Agreement in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

Burhan considered completing the security arrangements necessary to avoid destabilizing acts and called on the joint force to protect citizens in Darfur and deter outlaws.

Burhan underscored the importance of directing arms to protect the borders and ensure the safe return of refugees and displaced people to their villages, in light of the regional turmoil.

Upon his arrival in Khartoum, Burhan met with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes.

The meeting touched on the current political situation in Sudan, as well as the security situation in the Darfur region, Volcker said in a press statement.

Discussions also tackled the UN-facilitated ongoing political consultation process to reach consensus and end the crisis.

The UN envoy stressed the need to provide a suitable environment to make the ongoing political consultations process successful by ending the violence that accompanies the demonstrations.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.