Transitional Military Council (2019)
{{Short description|Four-month Sudanese military junta after President Omar al-Bashir's overthrow}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Politics of Sudan}}
The Transitional Military Council (TMC) was the military junta governing Sudan that was established on 11 April 2019, after the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état that took place during the Sudanese Revolution, and was formally headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Inspector of the Armed Forces, after Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf resigned as leader one day following the coup.{{cite news|title=Sudan's Ibn Auf steps down as head of military council|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sudan-military-council-ruler-ibn-auf-steps-190412194737727.html|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=15 April 2019}}
The TMC and the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC) signed a political agreement on 17 July. On 4 August, a constitutional declaration, which followed up on the 17 July agreement, was completed. The agreements provided for the transfer of power to a new body known as the Sovereignty Council and to other transitional state bodies.
Structure and members
Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemetti") was formally the deputy leader but seen as the de facto real leader.
On 20 August 2019, the Sovereignty Council was established, officially dissolving the TMC and transferring power to the new council.
Leadership
Hemetti, formally the deputy leader of the Council, is the commander of the Rapid Support Forces,{{cite news |title=Sudan coup: Military leader vows to 'uproot regime' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47918736 |publisher=BBC News |date=13 April 2019 |access-date=14 April 2019}} and as such, is seen by The Washington Post as holding more real power in the Council than al-Burhan. The RSF is the immediate successor organisation to the Janjaweed militia.
The Council's media spokesman is Major General Shams Ad-din Shanto.{{cite news |title=Sudan crisis: Military council arrests former government members |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47929137 |publisher=BBC News |date=14 April 2019 |access-date=15 April 2019}} Some of the Council's other known members were General Galaledin Alsheikh,{{cite web |author=Prime Minister of Ethiopia |title=Office of the Prime Minister-Ethiopia |url=https://www.facebook.com/PMOEthiopia/posts/573031906521330 |publisher=Facebook |date=15 April 2019 |access-date=16 April 2019}} a former deputy director of security, Lieutenant General Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel, who led the public order police,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48049936|title = Sudan crisis: Three top generals agree to quit as protests continue|work = BBC News|date = 25 April 2019}} and Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abidin served as the leader of the junta's "political committee."{{cite news |title=Sudan coup: Military warns against disturbances |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47908785 |publisher=BBC News |date=12 April 2019 |access-date=13 April 2019}} All three tendered their resignations on 24 April.{{cite web |title=Three members of Sudan military council resign after demand by opposition |website=Reuters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408124750/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/three-members-of-sudan-military-council-resign-after-demand-by-opposition-idUSKCN1S02D8 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |url-status=live |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/three-members-of-sudan-military-council-resign-after-demand-by-opposition-idUSKCN1S02D8}} General Gamal Omar of the TMC commented publicly on the 30 June 2019 mass demonstrations, attributing the responsibility for ten deaths to the protest organisers.
3 June 2019 Khartoum massacre
{{main|Khartoum massacre}}
On 3 June 2019, the TMC's security forces, including the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by TMC deputy leader Hemeti, killed about 100 civilians and injured hundreds of others in the Khartoum massacre. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) described the TMC leaders as being "deep to their knees in the blood of the innocent in Darfur, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, in addition to Khartoum and other cities and towns" and organised a 3-day general strike.
Negotiations and power transfer
=April–June negotiations with civil society=
Major General Shanto, in a press conference on 14 April, stated that the Council was inviting the opposition and protestors to name a civilian government (except for the Ministries of Defense and Interior){{citation needed|date=April 2019}} and a prime minister to lead it, which the junta would then "implement".
On 12 June, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance prepared a list of eight civilian members for a 15-member transitional governmental council to replace the TMC, including three women, in addition to Abdalla Hamdok, who was Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa from 2011 to October 2018, as prime minister.
Planned power transfer to Sovereignty Council
{{main|2019–2024 Sudanese transition to democracy}}
On 5 July 2019, the TMC and the FFC agreed on a Sudanese transition to democracy deal, including an 11-member sovereign council with five military members, five civilian members, and one civilian chosen by consensus; a civilian cabinet; a legislative council; an investigation into the Khartoum massacre and related events; and a legal team to formalise the plan. The new Sovereignty Council would be led by a military person for 21 months and by a civilian for 18 months. On 7 July, al-Burhan, head of the TMC, stated on television that in the context of the transition deal, the TMC would be dissolved.
On 4 August, the TMC, represented by Hemetti, and the FFC, represented by Ahmed Rabee, signed the Draft Constitutional Declaration, which states 70 legal articles defining the transfer of power from the TMC to the Sovereignty Council and other transitional state bodies. The signing of the Draft Constitutional Declaration received wide international attention.
Attempted anti-TMC coups d'état
The TMC claimed several times during 2019 that a coup d'état attempt had been foiled and that those responsible had been arrested.
{{As of|2019|07|25}}, the TMC had not named the alleged coup plotters of the first four coup attempts.
On 12 July, Gamal Omar of the TMC reported the fourth coup attempt, stating that twelve army and National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) officers had attempted a coup d'état against the TMC, without naming the alleged conspirators.
On 25 July, the TMC stated that a combined military-Islamist coup attempt had occurred. The TMC stated that it had arrested the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lieutenant-General Hashim Abdel Muttalab Ahmed; Major-General Nasr al-Din Abdel Fattah; former Foreign Minister, Ali Ahmed Karti; the commander of the Central District, Major-General Bahar Ahmed; former Minister of Minerals, Kamal Abdel Latif; and Secretary-General of "the Islamic Movement", Zubair Ahmed al-Hassan.
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{cite web |title = Complete civil disobedience, and open political strike, to avoid chaos | publisher = Sudanese Professionals Association | date = 4 June 2019 | url =https://www.sudaneseprofessionals.org/en/complete-civil-disobedience-and-open-political-strike-to-avoid-chaos/ | access-date = 7 June 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190608220131/https://www.sudaneseprofessionals.org/en/complete-civil-disobedience-and-open-political-strike-to-avoid-chaos/ |archive-date= 8 June 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | last1= Abdelaziz | first1= Khalid | title= Sudan opposition says to nominate members for transitional council | date= 12 June 2019 | publisher= Thomson Reuters | url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/sudan-opposition-says-to-nominate-members-for-transitional-council-idUSKCN1TB1O3 |access-date= 16 June 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190612121814/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/sudan-opposition-says-to-nominate-members-for-transitional-council-idUSKCN1TB1O3 |archive-date= 12 June 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite web | title= Abdalla Hamdok – Deputy Executive Secretary – United Nations Economic Commission for Africa | year= 2018 |website= United Nations Industrial Development Organization | url= https://www.unido.org/node/134297 |access-date= 13 August 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190813211523/https://www.unido.org/node/134297 |archive-date= 13 August 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite web | title =ECA staff bid adieu to Abdalla Hamdok - "a brilliant, true Pan-Africanist" | website= United Nations Economic Commission for Africa |date = 30 October 2018 | url = https://www.uneca.org/stories/eca-staff-bid-adieu-abdalla-hamdok-“-brilliant-true-pan-africanist" | access-date = 16 June 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190616022408/https://www.uneca.org/stories/eca-staff-bid-adieu-abdalla-hamdok-%E2%80%9C-brilliant-true-pan-africanist%E2%80%9D |archive-date= 16 June 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | last1= Tharoor | first1= Ishaan | title= The Warlord wrecking Sudan's revolution | date= 18 June 2019 | newspaper= The Washington Post | url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/06/18/warlord-wrecking-sudans-revolution/ |access-date= 22 June 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190622001834/https://sudansnewsupdates.org/2019/06/18/the-warlord-wrecking-sudans-revolution/ |archive-date= 22 June 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | title= Sudan protests: Death toll reaches 10 after anti-military rallies | date= 1 July 2019 | newspaper= Al Jazeera English | url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/sudan-death-toll-climbs-10-anti-military-rallies-190701093026658.html |access-date= 1 July 2019 |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20210601110249/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/sudan-death-toll-climbs-10-anti-military-rallies-190701093026658.html |archive-date= 1 June 2021 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news |title='Our revolution won': Sudan's opposition lauds deal with military |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/sudan-military-council-opposition-reach-power-sharing-agreement-190705013332385.html |access-date=5 July 2019 |newspaper=Al Jazeera English |date=5 July 2019 |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20210402153200/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/sudan-military-council-opposition-reach-power-sharing-agreement-190705013332385.html |archive-date=2 April 2021 }}
{{cite news | title= Sudan's military council to be dissolved in transition deal | date= 8 July 2019 | publisher= WTOP-FM |agency= AP | url= https://wtop.com/middle-east/2019/07/sudans-top-general-says-military-council-will-be-dissolved/ |access-date= 8 July 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190708202919/https://wtop.com/middle-east/2019/07/sudans-top-general-says-military-council-will-be-dissolved/ |archive-date= 8 July 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | title= New coup attempt foiled in Sudan – generals detained | date= 25 July 2019 |newspaper= Radio Dabanga | url= https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/new-coup-attempt-foiled-in-sudan-generals-detained |access-date= 25 July 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190725200646/https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/new-coup-attempt-foiled-in-sudan-generals-detained |archive-date= 25 July 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | title= Sudanese army thwarts coup attempt, arrests its chief of staff | date= 24 July 2019 |newspaper= Sudan Tribune | url= https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67830 |access-date= 25 July 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190725192615/https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67830 |archive-date= 25 July 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | title= Sudan' military council says coup attempt thwarted | date= 12 July 2019 |newspaper= Sudan Tribune | url= https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67764 |access-date= 25 July 2019 |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20190725213003/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67764 |archive-date= 25 July 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite web |last1 = FFC|last2 = TMC |author1-link = Forces of Freedom and Change |author2-link = Transitional Military Council (2019) | last3 =Idris | first3 =Insaf | title = Political Agreement on establishing the structures and institutions of the transitional period between the Transitional Military Council and the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces | newspaper = Radio Dabanga |date =17 July 2019 | url = https://www.dabangasudan.org/uploads/media/5d306eb7c2ab1.pdf | access-date = 18 July 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190718222047/https://www.dabangasudan.org/uploads/media/5d306eb7c2ab1.pdf |archive-date= 18 July 2019 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news | title= Sudan Constitutional Declaration signed – Sovereign Council to be announced in two weeks | date= 4 August 2019 |newspaper= Radio Dabanga | url= https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-constitutional-declaration-signed-sovereign-council-to-be-announced-in-two-weeks |access-date= 4 August 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190804215014/https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-constitutional-declaration-signed-sovereign-council-to-be-announced-in-two-weeks |archive-date= 4 August 2019 |url-status=live}}
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{{Presidents of Sudan}}
{{Sudan topics}}
Category:2019 establishments in Sudan