Burhan promises democratic elections in 2023: Sudan’s military chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan promised to return power to civilians and hold presidential elections in 2023 as planned. Speaking to the Financial Times in his first foreign press interview since staging a coup that secured his chairmanship of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and continued political authority, Burhan also claimed he plans to step down and “mind [his] own business” after the elections take place. His statements follow weeks of unrest that has left scores of people dead, continuing even after Abdalla Hamdok’s return as PM.

Plot twist in Libya: Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi has been barred by Libya’s election authority from running in next month’s presidential election, according to a list released yesterday that rejected the applications of 24 other candidates. Gaddafi, son of the country’s late ruler who was seen as a potential frontrunner in the presidential contest, was excluded on a rule that bars people with previous convictions from running.

Prepare for drama: One person who wasn’t prevented from running is interim prime minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, who was among the 73 names approved by the commission. Dbeibeh’s candidacy has not gone down well with some in the House of Representatives, who have claimed that he is ineligible to run. The election rules, which are being contested by factions in government and parliament, require a sitting PM to stand down from their position three months before the poll. Dbeibeh remains the country’s PM with less than a month before the election takes place on 24 December.