Transitional Sovereignty Council facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Transitional Sovereignty Council |
|
|---|---|
| مجلس السيادة الإنتقالي (Arabic) | |
.jpg) |
|
| Overview | |
| State | Sudan |
| Leader | Chairman (Abdel Fattah al-Burhan) |
| Appointed by | Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (current) August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration (first) |
The Transitional Sovereignty Council (Arabic: مجلس السيادة الإنتقالي) is like the main leadership group for the country of Sudan. It acts as the head of state. This council was first created on August 20, 2019. It was formed after a special agreement called the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration.
Later, in October 2021, the council was temporarily stopped by its leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. This happened during a big change in government. The council was then started again the next month with new members. This change made it more of a group led by the military, rather than a mix of military and civilian leaders.
The original council was supposed to have five civilians chosen by a group called the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC). It also had five military members chosen by the Transitional Military Council (TMC). One more civilian was chosen by both groups together. The first leader of the council was a military member, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He was supposed to lead for 21 months. After that, a civilian member was meant to take over for the next 18 months. The first council had only two women members: Aisha Musa el-Said and Raja Nicola. Members of the council were not allowed to run in the next election.
Contents
How the Council Started
Sudan has had groups like the Sovereignty Council in charge several times before. This current council was formed after a long period of protests and changes in Sudan. In April 2019, the president, Omar al-Bashir, was removed from power. A military group, the Transitional Military Council (TMC), took over.
After many talks, the TMC and a civilian group called the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) made an agreement in July 2019. They then created the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration. This document officially gave the role of head of state to the new Sovereignty Council.
Who is in the Council?
The August 2019 agreement said the Sovereignty Council would have 11 members.
- Five civilians were chosen by the FFC.
- Five military members were chosen by the TMC.
- One civilian was chosen by both the FFC and TMC together.
The agreement also said that a military member would lead the council for the first 21 months. Then, a civilian member chosen by the FFC would lead for the next 18 months.
The military members included General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Hemedti. Hemedti was also the deputy (second-in-command) of the council for a time.
The five civilians chosen by the FFC included Aisha Musa el-Said, Siddiq Tawer, Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman, Hassan Sheikh Idris, and Mohammed Hassan Osman al-Ta'ishi.
Raja Nicola was the civilian member chosen by both the FFC and TMC. She is from the Sudanese Copt community. Her selection showed respect for different groups in Sudan, especially Christians.
Later, in February 2021, three more members were added to the council. These were leaders from different groups: El Hadi Idris Yahya, Malik Agar, and El Tahrir Abubakr Hajar.
Members Before the 2021 Change
The council had fourteen members at one point:
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (chair)
- Hemedti (deputy-chair)
- Yasser al-Atta
- Shams al-Din Khabbashi
- Ibrahim Jabir Karim
- Aisha Musa el-Said
- Siddiq Tawer
- Mohamed al-Faki
- Hassan Sheikh Idris
- Mohammed Hassan al-Ta'ishi
- Raja Nicola
- El Hadi Idris Yahya
- Malik Agar
- El Tahrir Abubakr Hajar
Members After the 2021 Change
After the government change in October 2021, al-Burhan restarted the council on November 11, 2021. The military and rebel members stayed the same. However, most of the civilian members were replaced. One spot for a civilian from Eastern Sudan was left empty. The members were:
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (chair)
- Hemedti (deputy-chair; removed in 2023)
- Malik Agar (became deputy-chair after Hemedti was removed)
- Shams al-Din Khabbashi
- Yasser al-Atta
- Ibrahim Jabir Karim
- El Hadi Idris Yahya
- El Tahrir Abubakr Hajar
- Raja Nicola
- Abdulgasim Bortom
- Yousef Jad Karim
- Abdelbagi al-Zubeir
- Salma Abdeljabbar
Women in the Council
The Sovereignty Council mostly had men. Only two of the eleven original members were women: Aisha Musa el-Said and Raja Nicola.
Some groups, like the Sudanese Women's Union, felt that women played a very important part in the changes in Sudan. They believed women should have an equal share in leadership roles.
Not Allowed to Run in Elections
According to the August 2019 agreement, the members of the Sovereignty Council were not allowed to run in the 2022 Sudanese general election. This rule also applied to other senior leaders during the transition period.
What the Council Does
The council has many important powers. It can choose the Prime Minister. It also approves leaders for certain government groups. The council has the power to declare war or a state of emergency. It can also sign and approve agreements with other countries.
How Decisions Are Made
The council tries to make decisions by everyone agreeing (consensus). If they cannot all agree, then at least two-thirds of the members (eight members) must vote yes for a decision to pass.
Council Actions
The council declared a state of emergency in Port Sudan in August 2019. This was because of fighting between different groups that caused many deaths.
In November 2019, the government, with the council's approval, changed laws that limited women's freedom. These old laws restricted how women could dress, move, join groups, work, and study.
The Council's Changes
On October 25, 2021, Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the council. He also removed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok from his position. However, al-Burhan re-formed the council with new members on November 11, 2021.
Later, on November 21, 2021, al-Burhan and Hamdok made a new agreement. This agreement brought Hamdok back as prime minister. It also said that all political prisoners arrested during the changes would be released. The original 2019 agreement for the transition period was also restored.
See also
In Spanish: Consejo Soberano de Sudán (2019) para niños
