Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led a military coup in Sudan late last month, says he will not be part of the country’s new government, after a transitional period.
“It is our pledge – a pledge we made to ourselves, the Sudanese people and the international community – that we are committed to completing the democratic transition, holding elections on time, and committed to not stopping any political activity as long as it is peaceful, and within the bounds of the constitutional declaration and the parts that have not been suspended,” al-Burhan told Al Jazeera on Sunday.
He said he is committed to handing over power to a civilian government and to protect the new government during the transition period.
He also told Al Jazeera that the army is not responsible for the deaths of protesters who have taken to the streets against the coup. At least 14 demonstrators have been killed and about 300 wounded.
Military and civilian groups in Sudan had been sharing power since the country’s former leader Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019 following months of street protests. The country was moving toward civilian rule and a democratic election by the end of 2023. The military was scheduled to hand over leadership of the council to a civilian leader in the coming months though no specific date had been set.