TMC’s al-Burhan praises Sudan Revolution, calls to work together for democratic rule

August 17, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) praised the revolution that toppled the former regime and called on the Sudanese to work together for the re-establishment of democracy and prosperity.

In his speech during the signing ceremony of the documents of the transition to civil authority Saturday, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan called on the Sudanese to move beyond the past towards a new era in Sudan.

“I invite everyone to make this day a new stage of getting over the bitterness of the past and looking towards the future,” al-Burhan said.

“We are now moving towards a new phase of nation-building,” he further said.

He pointed out that the armed forces proved to be a partner and a bridge to the regime change without losing their professionalism.

Al-Burhan pledged that the military would play its full role in preserving the gains of the Sudanese revolution.

The Sudanese general who will take the chairmanship of the Sovereign Council on Sunday thanked the Sudanese people for their peaceful revolution, before asking the young people to go to work after they had completed the revolution.

Thousands of Sudanese went out in the streets to celebrate the signing of the agreement on the transitional authority which paves the way for the formation of a civilian government to lead the country during the next three years.

Mohamed Nagy Alasam delivered a long speech on behalf of the Forces for Freedom and Change where he recalled that the issue of war and peace remain on the top priorities of the opposition coalition which will lead the country after the formation of the transitional government.

“We have worked to link the issues of peace with the democratic transformation,” he said before to add that the FFC believe that they should work to achieve an inclusive, just and a lasting peace agreement.

In the same vein, he stressed on the need to hold accountable those who perpetrated crimes against civilians in the country and pointed to the arrest warrants by the war crimes court against the head of the former regime saying it shows the scale of the crimes committed by the al-Bashir regime during the past 30 years.

“We affirm the commitment of the FFC to conduct a national, transparent, fair and objective investigation into the massacre of the Army General Command,”

“We assert that we will work diligently so that anyone who has committed a crime against the Sudanese people since June 30, 1989, will be punished,” he added.

In a message posted on the social media after the celebration, Alasam said his long speech was written by a committee formed by the opposition coalition to deliver their joint message to the Sudanese people.

Sadiq al-Mahdi the last elected prime minister and head of the National Umma Party was the only opposition leader who was allowed to address the signing ceremony.

The opposition leader stressed that Saturday, is the day of the transition to civil rule, to achieve peace as a priority, and also achieve democratic transformation through free and fair elections.

“The next stage will be a test for (the whole Sudanese), no one will be excluded,” he said before to add “We will open the door to everyone to participate in Sudan’s celebration.”

The ceremony was attended by several heads of states from the region and representatives of the international community.

Also, the big hall of the meeting was full of guests including the families of the Revolution Martyrs and the FFC officials who chanted slogans calling for justice.

At the end of the signing ceremony, the crowd chanted slogan calling for justice when the deputy head of the transitional council Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti went out of the Friendship Hall. His bodyguards escorted him to his car before to leave.

(ST)