Sudan's Hamdok wants coup reversed before dialogue, his office says

[November 03, 2021]  CAIRO (Reuters) - The Sudanese prime minister ousted in an army coup last week wants detainees released and governing bodies restored before he will enter into any dialogue, his office said on Wednesday, denying a report he had agreed to lead a new government.

Abdalla Hamdok has been under house arrest since his government was toppled on Oct. 25 by military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in the coup which derailed a transition towards civilian rule and led Western donors to freeze aid.

Burhan has said he wants to form a new government of technocrats, and that Hamdok could return to lead it.

Mediation efforts have been underway for several days in search of a negotiated way out of the crisis. A source close to Hamdok told Reuters mediated talks were ongoing but no deal had been reached.

Quoting unnamed sources, the Saudi-owned al Arabiya TV said earlier on Wednesday that Hamdok had agreed to return to lead a government. Al Hadath TV, an affiliate of al Arabiya, reported Hamdok wanted political detainees released as a condition.

However, his office denied he had agreed to return.

"Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is detained in his residence by order of the coup authorities, is sticking by the conditions that all detainees be released and constitutional institutions be restored (as they were) before Oct. 25, before engaging in any dialogue," it said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Hamdok was being prevented from communicating with supporters, it added.

 Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (not pictured) address the media at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, February 14, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

The U.N. special envoy for Sudan said on Monday that Sudanese and international mediation efforts were expected to bear fruit in coming days.

Burhan said last week he had been seeking to persuade Hamdok to lead a new government and that Hamdok would be free to form the cabinet of his choice without interference.

The transition was meant to steer to elections in 2023, after the army deposed long-serving ruler Omar al-Bashir two years ago, prompted by a popular uprising against his rule.

Burhan has said he moved last week to avert civil war after civilian politicians stoked hostility to the armed forces. He says he is still committed to a democratic transition, including elections in July 2023.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Alaa Swilam; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir and Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Angus MacSwan, Peter Graff)

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