By Theodore Jones –
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on Sunday evening announced his resignation during a speech on State broadcaster.
Addressing the military and security agencies, Hamdok said he had done his best to stop the country from descending into disaster.
The outgoing PM said that the political crisis in Sudan will only be solved through dialogue that includes all parties.
“The transitional government faced enormous challenges, the most important of which are the distortion of the national economy, suffocating international isolation, corruption and debts that exceeded Sh60 billion dollars, the deterioration of the civil service, education and health, the destruction of the social fabric, and other difficulties that faced the national march,” said Hamdok.
He added that the government’s approach has always been dialogue and consensus building in resolving all issues, declaring: “We succeeded in some and failed in others.”
Hamdok added that he accepted the post of Prime Minister in August 2019 based on a constitutional document and political consensus between the civilian and military components, but it did not live up to the same degree of commitment and harmony with which it began.
“The accelerated pace of divergence and division between the two partners, which was reflected in all components of the government and society, affected the performance and effectiveness of the state at various levels. More dangerous than that, the repercussions of those divisions reached society and its various components, so the speech of hate, treason and non-recognition of the other, the horizon of dialogue between everyone was blocked, all of which made the transition process fragile and full of obstacles and challenges.”
Hamdok indicated that he had met in the past days all the components of the transitional period, considering that the nation’s major problem is a structural between its civil and military components and that the major crisis in the nation is a political one, but it includes the economic and social aspects.
He stressed that his acceptance of the assignment came as a result of the political consensus and that the conflict between the two ruling partners was reflected in the performance and effectiveness of the state at various levels.
“The government has achieved successes, but of course, it failed in some areas. Our government was able to forgive many debts and it was hoped that 90 percent of our debts would be reduced. We have made an effort to extend freedoms and remove our country’s name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism,” Hamdok said.
He added: “I still say that the revolution is proceeding with its goals, and victory is inevitable…During the two years in which I gained the honour of assuming power, I was sometimes right and sometimes failed.”
Hamdok continued: “We hope that the support of friends who believed and supported the revolution of our Sudanese people will continue.”
The outgoing Prime Minister concluded by saying: “I have decided to return your trust to you and announce to you my resignation from the position of Prime Minister, to make way for another of the daughters or sons of this generous country, to complete the leadership of our dear country and cross it during the remainder of the transition towards the reviving democratic civil state. And I ask God to grant success to everyone who comes after me for reunion.”
AFP
