US envoy backs democratic transition to civilian rule in Sudan

CAIRO - A US envoy underlined Washington's support for a democratic transition to civilian rule in Sudan on Saturday during talks with the head of its ruling council and the prime minister, the US embassy in Khartoum said.

It said on Twitter that the Jeffrey Feltman, special envoy for the Horn of Africa, had also urged all players to recommit to working together to implement Sudan's constitutional declaration, signed following a 2018-2019 uprising that resulted in the removal of former President Omar al-Bashir.

Huge crowds of people marched in several parts of the Sudanese capital and other cities on Thursday in demonstrations against the prospect of military rule, as the crisis in the country's troubled transition from authoritarian rule deepened.

The military has shared power with civilian parties in a transitional authority since the removal of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 in a popular uprising after three decades of his rule.

A coalition of rebel groups and political parties have aligned themselves with the military, which has accused the civilian parties of mismanagement and monopolising power, and they are seeking to dissolve the cabinet.

Civilian leaders say that this would amount to a coup and that the military aims to install a government it can control.

Thursday's protest, which began at midday and continued after sundown, took place on the anniversary of the 1964 October Revolution that overthrew a military government and led to a period of parliamentary democracy.