YDS 2021 in Review

A B D A L L A H A M D O K
The most recent coup conducted by al-Burhan saw several government
officials taken hostage, and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok placed
under house arrest. The majority of his government was also arrested
alongside pro-government forces. Upwards of 200,000 pro-government
individuals and groups took to the streets of Sudan in retaliation against al-
Burhan’s attempted overthrow, with reports of 25 civilians having been killed
by the al-Burhan forces by November 17.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E S P O N S E
While the coup unfolded, international groups and Western countries, such as
the United States and European Union, reiterated support for Hamdok’s
Sovereignty Council of Sudan, with the Hamdok government vehemently
rejecting demands from coup organisers to transfer power. As a result, al-
Burhan was forced to engage in dialogue with Hamdok from as early as
October 28 about prospects for the restoration of Hamdok’s cabinet.
N E G O T I A T I O N S
This was formalised on November 21 in a 14 point plan that returned power to
Hamdok and his government, and released the political prisoners taken in the
coup. The negotiations, though successful for ongoing democratisation
attempts in Sudan, were rejected and criticised by anti-military groups in the
country, citing caution about returning to an arrangement that gave al-Burhan
too much power in the civilian government.
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