Sudan’s Burhan Says Political Talks Ongoing

Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, answers questions during an interview, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in New York. (AP)
Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, answers questions during an interview, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in New York. (AP)
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Sudan’s Burhan Says Political Talks Ongoing

Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, answers questions during an interview, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in New York. (AP)
Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, answers questions during an interview, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in New York. (AP)

Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan confirmed on Sunday that talks on a new political framework for the country were being held, but he warned the former ruling party in harsh words not to interfere with the military or in politics.

Burhan, head of the country's Sovereign Council, led a coup a year ago that halted the country's transition to elections following the ouster of Omar al-Bashir after three decades of rule.

Reuters reported on Friday that the military had compiled its views on a draft constitution, paving the way for steps towards a new agreement with the country's political parties.

Speaking to soldiers at an army base north of Khartoum, Burhan confirmed that talks were ongoing.

"We will join hands with anyone who wants to rescue this country," he said, adding that he would not agree to anything that led to the breakup of the military.

Since the coup, members of Bashir's banned National Congress Party have staged a comeback in public life and the civil service. Analysts say the military has allowed this as a way to build up a new political and bureaucratic base.

On Sunday, however, Burhan denied that the army supported Bashir's National Congress Party.

"We warn those that want to hide behind the army, and specifically the National Congress Party and the Islamist Movement," he said.

"Go away, 30 years are enough, give people a chance," he added later. "Don't hold hopes that the army will bring you back."

"Everyone that was part of the organization that led to the overthrow of the regime in 2019 has the legitimate right for us to stand with them to complete this transitional period towards elections," Burhan said, adding that other political groups have been included as well in order to increase consensus.



Türkiye Resolves Residency Dispute of Exiled Brotherhood Judge Sharaby

Egyptian judge Waleed Sharaby (Facebook)
Egyptian judge Waleed Sharaby (Facebook)
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Türkiye Resolves Residency Dispute of Exiled Brotherhood Judge Sharaby

Egyptian judge Waleed Sharaby (Facebook)
Egyptian judge Waleed Sharaby (Facebook)

An exiled Egyptian judge affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood said he ended an open-ended hunger strike after Turkish authorities intervened to resolve his residency status, following a public plea to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Waleed Sharaby, who fled to Türkiye in 2016 after being sentenced in Egypt, announced on Facebook late Thursday that he was halting his protest, which began outside a police station where he had been staging a sit-in.

He said the hunger strike was in response to Turkish authorities preventing him from leaving the country and refusing to renew his residency for nearly two years.

Sharaby claimed Turkish security services had acted on pressure from Egypt’s intelligence services, prompting him to appeal directly to Erdogan. He did not provide evidence for the alleged interference.

Moreover, Sharaby said he ended a two-day hunger strike and sit-in protest in Türkiye after receiving a call from a senior Turkish official who pledged to resolve his legal and residency issues.

Sharaby wrote on Facebook that he returned home and resumed eating on Thursday after the official, whose identity he did not disclose, invited him to a meeting and assured him that part of the issue would be resolved soon. “We may succeed in fully resolving the matter following this initial step,” he said.

Sharaby, who fled Egypt in 2016 after court rulings against him, began his hunger strike on Wednesday outside a police station in protest over what he described as Turkish authorities’ refusal to renew his residency for nearly two years and a travel ban that prevented him from leaving the country.

According to sources, Turkish authorities briefly detained him on Wednesday while attempting to depart the country, citing alleged financial violations involving Turkish citizens. He was held for a day before being released, after which he launched his protest.

During his sit-in, Sharaby publicly appealed to Erdogan via Facebook, asking for a personal meeting or for the issue to be referred to the appropriate authorities.

He claimed he had been subjected to “severe harassment” and travel restrictions, including pressure on a business he owns in Türkiye and a ban on leaving the country to seek asylum, reportedly in a European state, where his wife and children relocated nearly two years ago.

Turkish authorities have not publicly commented on the case. Türkiye has hosted several exiled members of the Muslim Brotherhood following the group's ouster from power in Egypt in 2013, though Ankara has since moved to restore ties with Cairo.

Sources close to Sharaby said Turkish authorities have agreed to grant him humanitarian residency, allowing him to remain in the country permanently despite the expiry of his Egyptian passport.

The move aligns with similar measures taken for other members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is designated a terrorist organization by the Egyptian government.