WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the resignation of Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the continued state-sponsored violence against protesters in Sudan:
“This weekend's resignation of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok completes the October 25 military coup. Hamdok's “return” to the job in late November, after the military junta allowed it, forestalled the inevitable: the betrayal of the Sudanese people and the death of a fragile civilian and military transition.
“While imperfect, the 2019 political agreement was the best chance for the Sudanese people to determine a future free from military dictatorship. The United States led the international community in supporting Sudan's transition. We committed more than $1 billion in assistance, began the process of debt relief, and lifted the Bashir-era state-sponsor of terrorism designation, among other historical steps.
“Sudan's military junta should hand over power to civilian leaders and the Biden Administration must treat what occurred on October 25 as it was – a military coup. Anything short of these actions is a failure for the people of Sudan. Congress will continue to lead by once again recalibrating the U.S.-Sudan bilateral relationship, including adjustments to commitments made before the coup. We will also support the Sudanese people by pursuing accountability for the coup leaders and those who continue to use state-sponsored violence and other means to suppress the voices of the Sudanese people.”
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