Sudan's ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is to be reinstated, after being placed under house arrest during a sudden military coup last month. All political detainees will be released as part of a new agreement between the military, civilian leaders and ex-rebel groups, mediators said. On Oct. 25, Sudan's military general suddenly declared a state of emergency and dissolved civilian leadership. It sparked weeks of mass protests that left scores of people dead. The deal was reached late on Saturday night, and is to be signed into action later on Sunday, the head of Sudan's Umma Party Fadlallah Burma Nasir confirmed. The group of mediators, which included academics, journalists and politicians, released a statement outlining the terms of the agreement. It says that Hamdok and his Cabinet members who were detained during the coup will be released and that he will return to his position as prime minister. It also says the rules governing Sudan's transition towards democracy will be restored. Sudan's military and civilian leaders have been in a fractious power sharing arrangement since August 2019, after the country's long-term president Omar Al-Bashir was overthrown. That arrangement was thrown into crisis last month when military leader Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan dissolved the civilian arm of the government and arrested its leaders. He said it was not a "coup", but a move needed to prevent a civil war that was threatening to erupt because political groups had been inciting civilians against the security forces. He appointed himself as the head of a new ruling council, with military and ex-rebel leaders by his side. Across many cities, including the capital Khartoum, anti-coup protesters put up makeshift barricades and burnt piles of tires, angry that their already-fragile path to democracy had been hijacked. The army responded violently, and are accused of shooting protesters. The new agreement comes ahead of more rallies that were planned for Sunday. The international community condemned the coup and demanded the release of political prisoners. The World Bank froze its aid to Sudan, and the African Union (AU) suspended the country's membership of the bloc. Coups are not uncommon in Sudan, and there have been several failed attempts since 2019, including one just a few weeks before the latest power grab. — BBC
