One year after the military takeover that put an end to the fragile democratic transition in Sudan in Oct. 25, 2021, the country finds itself caught in a deep political crisis between the coup alliance, unable to consolidate authority, and the democratic civilian movement.

When the generals seized power, the coup leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, promised that he would quickly appoint a technocratic Cabinet to rectify the situation and run the country until elections in 2023. Yet one year later, Burhan has been unable to fulfill his promises.

Under his rule, Sudan’s economy has collapsed, the country is experiencing high levels of violence and insecurity, particularly in the periphery, and Khartoum is suffering from broad international isolation as fears of greater instability mount. The junta has also been confronted by a broad and sustained popular opposition despite their harsh crackdown.

Faced with this resistance, Burhan announced last July that the armed forces were ready to take a vague step back from the political scene, but his maneuver was widely rejected. In recent months, there have been other proposals and failed attempts to try to find a way out, with the role of the generals in the future of the country as the main sticking point.