Despite deal, Sudanese rally to demand military rulers leave

Thousands of Sudanese have taken to the streets in the capital of Khartoum to renew their demand for a civilian government

CAIRO -- Thousands of Sudanese took to the streets on Thursday in the capital of Khartoum, renewing their demand for a fully civilian government and denouncing the country's military rulers who were behind the October coup.

The protests came just days after the military signed a new power-sharing deal with the prime minister, after releasing him from house arrest and reinstating him as head of government. The deal came almost a month after the generals orchestrated the takeover that deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and detained dozens of politicians and activists.

Hamdok’s reinstatement was the biggest concession made by the military since its Oct. 25 coup but leaves the country’s transition to democracy mired in crisis. Sudan’s key pro-democracy groups and political parties have dismissed the deal as falling short of their demands for a fully civilian rule.

Sudan has been struggling with its transition to a democratic government since the military overthrew longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019, following a mass uprising against three decades of his rule.