SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Voice of America - Sudan Agreement Keeps Relationship Unchanged - Analyst

6/12/2022: Voice of America - Sudan Agreement Keeps Relationship Unchanged - Analyst, by Nabeel Biajo

Voice of America report that the framework agreement does not alter civilian-military relations in Sudan and the military likely will continue to have the upper hand, according to Center for Strategic and International Studies analyst Cameron Hudson.

“It is a massive embarrassment for the international community… which celebrated Sudan’s civilian transition three years ago…that they have not been able to dislodge the military from its hold on power…they believe that any deficiencies in this agreement can be made up for in subsequent rounds of negotiations,” Hudson said.

Hudson added that the deal was written and signed by spoilers “and for us to be thinking now about how to prevent this agreement from being spoiled, well, we have missed the whole point of this.” 

To make this agreement credible, Hudson said the international community should have put significant pressure on the military to honour it by pledging serious consequences for spoilers.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: AFP - Scepticism greets Sudan's post-coup political deal

6/12/2022: AFP - Scepticism greets Sudan's post-coup political deal, by Menna Zaki

AFP report that Sudan’s framework agreement faces skepticism domestically despite being “widely hailed by the international community.”

Confluence Advisory think-tank founder Kholood Khair said the agreement improves the international community's perception of the commander-in-chief of Sudan’s army Abdulfattah al-Burhan but "works out less well for the civilians who will have to do the hard work and sell it to the public." Khair added that the deal “does not inspire confidence that it will lead to the reforms that people want to see,” and it is “contingent on public trust in the protagonists [which] does not exist”.

Analyst Osman Mirghani said the agreement is “merely a symbolic move” unless “developed further to a more concrete deal”, adding that “it will be hard to proceed with a comprehensive deal without agreeing with armed groups” amid its rejection by armed movement leaders - Darfur governor Minni Minnawi and finance minister Jibril Ibrahim.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudan’s FFC urge al-Burhan to review his partnership’s decre

6/12/2020: Sudan Tribune -  Sudan’s FFC urge al-Burhan to review his partnership’s decree 

 Sudan Tribune report that the Forces for Freedom and Changes (FFC) rejected the powers conferred to the Transition Partners Council (TPC) and urged Sovereign Council chairman Abdelfattah al-Burhan to review his decision.

 The FFC groups stated that powers conferred to the TPC are inconsistent with Article 80 of the Amended Transitional Constitutional Document, with the decree not being presented to the FFC and providing the council with powers that “divert it away from the coordinating nature for which it was established.”

 The FFC thus called for further discussions on the matter.

 Al-Burhan’s TPC decree said that it directs the transitional period and can interfere in the government attributions, including obstructing the transitional parliament.

SUDAN POLITICAL ALERT: Atlantic Council – Event Recap: Prime minister promises “Sudan will never be the same again”

6/12/2019: Atlantic Council – Event Recap: Prime minister promises “Sudan will never be the same again”, by David A. Wemer

The Atlantic Council re-caps what Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok told an audience at the Atlantic Council on December 5 2019.

Hamdok did not give a clear indication of when the US would remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, but stressed that it would be necessary for his government to successfully enact reforms.

He said his government’s “top priority is to… build the foundation of sustainable peace,” and focus on stabilising Sudan’s “bankrupt economy,” eradicating corruption, building state institutions, and increasing social development.

Hamdok noted efforts to improve religious minority and women’s rights, and working towards “free and fair elections,” and a “constitutional conference [to] allow [Sudan] to address its problems of identity.”

Hamdok also called on the international community to continue helping Sudan navigate the peace process, including providing “political and technical support” as well as financing “post conflict development” for conflict regions.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Bloomberg - Social Revolution Arrives in Bin Laden’s Old Neighborhood

6/12/2019: Bloomberg - Social Revolution Arrives in Bin Laden’s Old Neighborhood, by Mohammed Alamin

Mohammed Alamin’s feature piece highlights resistance to the activist-driven social changes in Sudan, following the removal of the public-order law that criminalised alcohol and regulate women’s dressing.

Alamin quotes cleric Nagi Mustafa, the founder of the “Current to Support Shariah” alliance, who claims that the “secularists” behind the social changes are “cheating the youth” and will be defeated by the Sudanese community’s Islamic values. Mustafa is said to regularly attacks the civilian government in his sermons.

Alamin also spoke to Sudanese citizens who said that Sudanese society is still discriminatory to girls and young women, and that empowered youth and women “are a source of worry for the religious leaders…[who] have an interest in keeping the historical privileges they had under al-Bashir.”

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Foreign Policy - The Enemies of Sudan’s Democracy Are Lurking Everywhere

6/12/2019: Foreign Policy - The Enemies of Sudan’s Democracy Are Lurking Everywhere, by Rebecca Hamilton

Rebecca Hamilton, the author of Fighting for Darfur, analyses the obstacles to Sudan’s democratic transition from the former ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the security sector.

Hamilton warns that pre--mature elections incur the risk of established political parties gaining power, before noting the dominance of NCP loyalists in the civil service, judicial and media institutions. Journalist Ahmed Ahmed is quoted warning that any Sudanese press union elections would legitimise NCP dominance as the union is dominated by spies.

Sudan’s minister of media and information Faisal Saleh says that his principled belief in freedom of expression means he is unable to prevent the NCP from undermining the transition in the local media.

To mitigate the financial power of the security sector, Hamilton calls for the that US’ removal of Sudan’s state sponsor of terrorism designation to be conditioned upon audits of the security sector and the RSF.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Wall Street Journal - New Sudan Leader Moves to Settle With Families of Terror Victims

6/12/2019: Wall Street Journal - New Sudan Leader Moves to Settle With Families of Terror Victims, by Jessica Donati

The Wall Street Journal reports that Sudan is weeks away from reaching a settlement with families of those killed in the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, new Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok said in an interview.

Hamdok said that settling the cases related to the terrorist attacks, and cooperating with the US on counter-terrorism are the remaining obstacles for Sudan’s terror designation to be lifted.

On the latter, he said he could envision the US setting up a counterterrorism operation in Sudan, and that Sudan “would like to benefit from US experience, not only of training but intelligence sharing, gathering, equipment, training,” Mr. Hamdok said, adding that Sudan borders seven countries.

Hamdok added that Sudanese stability has the ability to bring regional stability, with Sudan having “Boko Haram on our west, al-Shabaab further east. We have al Qaeda and ISIS in the north and the sides.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Military participation should not obstruct Sudan’s removal from U.S. terror list: Hamdok

6/12/2019: Sudan Tribune - Military participation should not obstruct Sudan’s removal from U.S. terror list: Hamdok

Sudan Tribune reports that Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has called on the US to put aside their concerns about the participation of the military in Sudan’s transitional authority, and to back Sudanese people through the removal of sanctions.

Hamdok made his call on Thursday at the Atlantic Council in Washington after meetings with US officials, who doubt that regime change has taken place in Sudan despite the formation of a civilian government.

Hamdok said that the military and civilians are working closely to achieve the tasks of the transitional government and the goals of the Sudanese revolution: freedom, peace and justice. Hamdok called on the US to back the Sudanese democratic transition, rather than refuse to cooperate with it due to the involvement of remnants of al-Bashir’s regime.

Hamdok also denied that the military members of the Sovereign Council opposed the dissolution of the former ruling National Congress Party.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Sudan govt delegation visits Chad

6/12/2019: Radio Dabanga - Sudan govt delegation visits Chad

Radio Dabanga reports that a delegation from the Sudanese Sovereign Council held talks with Chadian President Idris Deby in N'Djamena.

The delegation, which included Sovereign Council members Mohamed El Faki and Mohamed El Taayshi, Minister of Trade Madani Abbas, and Director of Military Intelligence Lt Gen Jamal Abdelmajeed, discussed bilateral relations and Chad’s role in the Sudanese peace process.

The Sovereign Council announced that the parties signed a joint statement that reaffirms their determination to enhance bilateral cooperation. They further stressed to activate the role of Chadian-Sudanese joint forces to secure the mutual borders and the movement of individuals and goods. In addition, they affirmed the need to reactivate trade agreements and the transit trade through Port Sudan.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune – Sudan arrests six Boko Haram militants: military spokesman

6/12/2019: Sudan Tribune – Sudan arrests six Boko Haram militants: military spokesman

Sudan Tribune report that six members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram have been arrested on the border with Chad, the Sudanese military intelligence said in a statement.

The militants are Chadian nationals, arrested on information provided by Chadian authorities, “in accordance with the protocol of cooperation on security and border control signed between Sudan, Libya, Niger and Chad," the statement added.

The statement also announced that Sudanese and Chadian authorities agreed to continue the exchange of information and continuous coordination to combat terrorism and transnational crime.

The statement is the first made by the Sudanese military on Boko Haram.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Sudan lawyers file new complaint against Al Bashir

6/12/2019: Radio Dabanga - Sudan lawyers file new complaint against Al Bashir

Radio Dabanga reports that a group of Sudanese lawyers have filed a complaint to the Prosecutor of Khartoum North against deposed President Omar al-Bashir, former Vice-President Ali Osman Taha, former Parliament Speaker al-Fateh Izzeldin, and members of the Sudan Scholars Association, for ordering the killing of demonstrators.

The lawyers base their complaints on number made during the early days of the Sudanese uprising.

They pointed to al-Bashir talking about “retribution against the demonstrators” in a meeting with police commanders. Taha spoke in a television interview about the existence of shadow battalions to quell the protests against the regime. Izzeldin said that the heads of protesters, in particular those of communists and Baathists should be cut off.

Reportedly, the Sudanese Scholars Association advised the deposed president during the uprising that a leader has the Islamic right to kill one third of his people so that the rest can live in dignity.