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Protesters are expected to gather in large numbers today in Sudan once more, to push for a fully civilian government. An agreement between the country’s military leaders, on one hand, and some – but not all – civilian movements, on the other, is expected in the next few days. There could even be a new civilian government in the next couple of weeks, charged with taking the country to elections. But the role of the army will be critical – following the coup it carried out in October 2021, and of course its major role during the 30 years Omar al Bashir was in power. After Mr Bashir was overthrown in 2019, the civilians and the military shared power for a couple of years. Will they do so again? And in what form? Siddig Tower Kafi was a civilian member of the country’s highest body, the Sovereign Council, until the 2021 coup. He has reservations about the framework agreement the military and some civilian groups are poised to sign: "The military component itself is extremely untrustworthy... nobody can trust it anymore because in the past it made many obstacles and hindered the transformation to the civilian situation. They used their position to weaken the security situation." (Photo: Protesters march during a rally against military rule following the last coup, in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)