Against all expectations,Sudan's peaceful revolution continues.In early June it was feared a crackdown by the military that killed at least 100 in Khartoum would snuff out the protests-ignited by economic meltdown and pent-up fury after 30 years of militarized Islamist rule-that had toppled President Omar al-Bashir three months previously.Far from it.A massive popular pushback brought millions onto the streets on Jun.30 and forced the Transitional Military Council(TMC)to resume talks with protesters on a way forward.The resulting political agreement signed in mid-August with the opposition umbrella group Forces for Freedom and Change(FFC)created a sovereign council with a civilian majority,leading to the appointment of a civilian prime minister and climaxing last week with the formation of a new government(EC Jun.7’19).Now for the hard part.Put simply,Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok faces a daunting task to deliver the revolution's demands for”freedom,peace and justice”over the next 31/2 years,at which point free and fair elections are supposed to happen.His cabinet of technocrats,mostly nominated by the FFC,but with defense and interior headed by military and police appointees,respectively,faces huge expectations with few resources.Its 16-point checklist includes securing comprehensive peace in six months,fixing the economy,rebuilding war-ravaged Darfur,South Kordofan and Blue Nile and reforming the run-down public sector.
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