The overthrow of civilian authorities two years ago has been referred to as a "mistake" by a prominent military leader in Sudan.
General Mohamed Dagalo, the deputy head of Sudan's ruling council, claimed that Omar al-Bashir's political supporters had benefited from the coup.
Since Bashir was removed from office in 2019, military leaders have been accused of obstructing the changeover to civilian rule.
Since then, pro-democracy activists have organized demonstrations in opposition to the military government.
Since a military junta overthrew the civilian-led transitional government in 2021, Sudan has experienced political and economic unrest.
Gen. Dagalo, also known as "Hemeti," stated on Sunday in a speech that was broadcast on television: "Unfortunately, it [the coup] has become a gateway for the return of the former regime. " .
He issued a warning that Bashir's allies, the country's detained former leader who ruled it for nearly three decades, were regaining political influence.
He was referring to those appointed to the government following the coup as well as National Congress party supporters in the army.
Gen. Dagalo applauded a transition plan signed last year with the intention of reinstating a two-phase political process to restore civilian rule. Additionally, he stated that while he "sometimes made mistakes," he supported the demands of demonstrators in favor of democracy.
His remarks come amid rising hostilities between the country's de facto leader and the head of the army, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Last week, General al-Burhan issued a warning, saying he would not permit the RSF to function as a separate entity and that it ought to be integrated into the army.
Gen. Dagalo stated in his speech that he "will not permit remnants of the defunct regime to drive a wedge between" the RSF and the regular army," but he did not provide any further details.
His recent comments could be interpreted as a conscious effort to break with the army and form an alliance with some civilian groups for a man who has recently not been reluctant to express his political ambitions.
There are some hints that such an approach might be well received because civilian organizations believe they need a armed ally to take on the military authorities. But there are worries that this action might bring about more unrest.
Gen. Dagalo's speech has largely been met with mockery in the early reactions.
The speech was criticized for failing to address responsibility for the killings of civilians, including the alleged RSF massacre on June 3, 2019.
Additionally, they claim he didn't address claims that the same unit, which was at the time Bashir's allies, killed people in western Darfur. It is believed that conflict, which started in 2003, killed hundreds of thousands of people and ejected millions from their homes.
