Sudan's army chief, Lt-Gen Abdulfattah al-Burhan, wants to form a civilian government, but the Forces of Freedom and Change insist on the return of the dismissed Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, who stressed that he wouldn't accept to head any cabinet without the approval of the Coalition.
Coalition sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that if Burhan formed a civilian government, which he'll preside, it would serve as a "secretariat office" for military leaders.
They added that civilian forces and the majority of the people want Hamdok as Prime Minister only because he has become a symbol of civil authority chosen by civilians and not the army.
Since the army took power on October 25, several regional and international mediators have sought to solve the crisis, the latest of which was the visit of an Arab League delegation. All attempts reached a deadlock because of what some described as the "Hamdok impasse."
The international community is calling for the return of Hamdok to the premiership.
The sources indicated that mediators and Freedom and Change representatives met with Hamdok at his residence for the first time since the coup.
The meeting discussed ways to end the deadlock, especially after Burhan had promised to form a government during the first week of his assumption of power.
Meanwhile, Burhan dismissed several directors and heads of government facilities and banks, including the Central Bank. He replaced them with Islamist figures affiliated with the National Congress Party, which was headed by ousted President Omar al-Bashir.
Observers described the move as an attempt to restore the Bashir regime with new faces.
