Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

i24 News – Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Friday hinted at steps towards easing tensions six months after a military coup.

“We are embarking on a difficult period and we must all present concessions for the sake of our country,” he said at a Ramadan gathering, noting the deteriorating economic and security situation in Sudan.

“We are prepared to put forward what we can to create the atmosphere for a dialogue that leads to solutions,” he added.

Burhan, along with other military leaders, staged a coup in October 2021, ending a two-year power-sharing arrangement with a civilian political coalition.

Since then, almost 100 people were killed in security crackdowns on protests and dozens more arrested.

The junta leader said that while there were no “political detainees,” he met with the public prosecutor and the head of the judiciary to discuss expediting the release of prisoners, among whom are key political leaders.

He noted that they also discussed the possibility of reducing the current state of emergency.

Such steps were previously requested by the international community as trust-building measures.

Burhan said these steps came with concessions made by some political groups towards coming to a compromise.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that a deal to form a new government was under consideration.

In Friday’s comments, Burhan called for political parties to come to a consensus, echoing a previous statement that he would only hand over power to an elected government.

Before and after the coup military leaders accused the civilian coalition of monopolizing power.