Washington has urged Sudanese leaders to put aside their differences, reach a consensus, and ensure the continuation of civilian rule after Sudanese prime minister Abdullah Hamdok announced his resignation from office. "Following the resignation of prime minister Hamdok, Sudanese leaders must set aside their differences, reach consensus, and ensure the continuation of civilian rule," the State Department's Office on African Affairs said. It stressed the importance of "appointing the prime minister and the next Sudanese government in line with the constitutional declaration to achieve the people's goals of freedom, peace, and Justice." Washington also reiterated its continued standing with the Sudanese people in their quest for democracy, stressing that violence against protesters should stop. Hamdok announced his resignation as prime minister weeks after he was reinstated as part of a political deal with the military that he said could save the transition to democracy. Hamdok, who failed to form a government as protests against the Sovereign Council's decisions continued in October, said a round-table dialogue was needed to reach a new agreement for Sudan's political transition to democracy. "I have tried as best I can to spare our country the risk of sliding towards disaster... Despite what has been done to achieve the desired and necessary consensus to fulfil the promises made to citizens regarding security, peace, and justice, this has not happened," he said. An economist and former United Nations official, Hamdok was picked to lead the transitional government formed after the ousting of former President Omar Al-Bashir in April 2019 amid a popular uprising against his long-time autocratic rule. The transitional government was formed under a power sharing agreement between the military and a civilian coalition that was to govern Sudan until the 2023 elections.
