SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: US Institute of Peace - Reported Coup Attempt Complicates an Already-Tenuous Transition in Sudan

22/9/2021: US Institute of Peace - Reported Coup Attempt Complicates an Already-Tenuous Transition in Sudan, by Joseph Tucker

Proposing solutions to protect Sudan’s democratic transition, USIP’s Senior Horn of Africa expert Joseph Tucker warns that Sudanese public frustrations towards a civilian government that is considered weak in its political and public engagement performance “could chip away at popular support for a civilian-led government”

Tucker calls for the creation of governance institutions, particularly the legislative council, which is “needed to give popular legitimacy and political direction to the transitional government’s decisions and provide space for other political and civic stakeholders to participate”, with the absence of such institutions arguably leaving the government vulnerable to coup attempts.

Tucker also suggests that security sector reform builds consensus around policy that shifts the military’s role from one of regime protection to citizen protection, before calling for the US Congress’ 2020 Sudan Democratic Transition Accountability, and Fiscal Transparency Act to serve as a blueprint for international support to the transition.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: al-Jareeda – The coup leader is a Koz from Kosti

22/9/2021: al-Jareeda – The coup leader is a Koz from Kosti, by Dr. Abdelwahhab Hemmat

Al-Jareeda profile the alleged leader of the failed coup, Major General Abdul-Bagi Bakrawi, a koz (Sudanese slang for a supporter/member of al-Bashir’s regime) from Kosti.  

Bakrawi was recruited to recruited to the National Islamic Front in the second grade of secondary school, and he worked for the NIF during the 1986 elections.

He obtained a master's degree in military sciences from Sudan and Malaysia, and a fellowship from the Sudan Academy of Administrative Sciences.

In April 2019, it was reported that he tried to prevent the Rapid Support Forces from advancing at the moment Lieutenant-General Awad Ibn Auf announced the resignation of Al-Bashir. It is said that he was investigated for insulting the Rapid Support Commander.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: al-Yom al-Tali – Coup or disguise?

22/9/2021: al-Yom al-Tali – Coup or disguise?, by Shamael al-Nour

Columnist Shamael al-Nour argues “something is being covered up” by the coup attempt, as it is not far away from the date by which the presidency of the Sovereign Council will be transferred from the military to civilians.

Al-Nour argues that the latest events are “the shadow of the transitional crisis,” with civil and military components apprehensive about each other. She adds that “some civilian circles are not fully prepared for the transfer of the presidency, and “they do not have a clear vision for this process”.

Explaining public skepticism towards the authenticity of the coup attempt, al-Nour questions whether it was just “restlessness in the army employed to serve a party”, citing “the lack of signs indicating that the country is experience a military coup” and that commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdulfattah al-Burhan, “spoke with friendliness during his visit to the Armored Corps that attempted the coup”.  

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: al-Taghyeer – The experimental coup

22/9/2021: al-Taghyeer – The experimental coup, by Osman Mirghani

Despite the failure of the coup attempt, Osman Mirghani, the editor-in-chief of al-Tayyar newspaper, warns that a successful coup may still occur amid “the failure of Sudan’s ruling partners to build vital institutions without which the strength of the state will not be upright”.

Mirghani criticises the “frequent” statements of civilian and military officials that they do not expect a coup by highlighting Sudan’s political and economic environments which culminate in the “slackening of citizen reactions to the idea of the coup”.

Alongside citing the “corrosive” economy, Mirghani also states that the “political situation cannot get any worse”, amid divided ruling forces that are unable to establish institutions of governance such as Legislative, Supreme Prosecution, and High Judicial Councils and the Constitutional Court.

Mirghani adds that these  failures are compounded by “the complete absence of any vision and strategic plan that inspires the path of development and renaissance.”

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: AFP - Failed Sudan coup points to threats to transition

22/9/2021: AFP - Failed Sudan coup points to threats to transition, by Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali and Menna Zaki

AFP’s feature piece quotes from analysts who suggest that the failed coup attempt highlights the threats to Sudan’s democratic transition.

Jonas Horner of the International Crisis Group said the coup “indicates persistence of opposition to Sudan's new, more inclusive direction".

Osman Mirghani, editor-in-chief of al-Tayyar newspaper, said the civilian and military camps could use the attempt "to call for prolonging the transition”.

Similarly, analyst Magdi el-Gizouli of the Rift Valley Institute, said it could be a "bargaining chip" as each side of the transition "pushes for respective demands and interests".

With AFP noting that the coup attempt could help in the military's push to prolong their leadership of the sovereign council, el-Gizouli added “the argument will simply be that the country is facing a security crisis that requires that they remain in power…. it’s likely we will continue to hear of similar coups," which reflects the transition's "fragility".

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - International community denounces ‘attempts to undermine Sudan transition’

22/9/2021: Radio Dabanga - International community denounces ‘attempts to undermine Sudan transition’

Radio Dabanga report that the UN, the African Union and the Sudan Troika condemned the coup attempt and expressed their support for Sudanese democratic transition. 

Volker Perthes, Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), said “I reiterate the UN’s continued commitment to assist, advise and support inclusive civilian governance in Sudan,” he said, referring to “the aspirations of the Sudanese people towards a peaceful, stable and democratic future”. 

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, congratulated Sudanese with the coup’s failure, and stressed the need to adhere to the legitimate authorities.

The Sudan Troika (the US, UK, and Norway) expressed its strong support for the Sudanese transition.  “The civilian and military components – and indeed all political actors – should work together to prevent threats to the democratic transition, establish transitional institutions, and address tensions in the East and other regions,” said the Troika.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Al-Taghyeer - Freedom and Change: Coup would have been catastrophic for Sudan

22/9/2021: Al-Taghyeer - Freedom and Change: Coup would have been catastrophic for Sudan

Al-Taghyeer report that Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition spokesman Jaafar Hassan warned that, had the Islamist coup been successful, “the military half of the government would have ended up before a firing squad, the civilian half’s fate would be unknown, and the Sudanese people would have to bear the brunt of it all.”

Hassan said the Sudanese transition underwent “more than 3 coups during three years” and affirmed that the conspiracies against the transitional period will not stop. 

Hassan emphasised that the democratic transition carries great benefits for the military institution, and that unity is needed in “purging evil from both civilian and military institutions.”

 Regarding the yet-to-be formed Legislative Council, Hassan said that the 60 seat Legislative Council is not the sole proprietorship of political parties and civilians, but rather a partnership between both civilian and military sides of the transitional council.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Al-Taghyeer - Suspected failed coup leader Al-Bakrawi: What we know

22/9/2021: Al-Taghyeer - Suspected failed coup leader Al-Bakrawi: What we know, by Amal Mohammed al-Hassan

Al-Taghyeer profiled Major General Abdul Baqi Al-Hussein, known as “Al-Bakrawi”, who allegedly spearheaded the failed coup attempt.

According to a “high-ranking military source”, al-Bakrawi served a six-month military suspension following the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, following his arrest after an audio recording went viral where he pledged to “eliminate the Rapid Support Forces with a single tank”.

Al-Bakrawi’s military detention caused health issues which forced him to travel to Cairo where diabetes-induced gangrene led to an amputation, before he returned Khartoum a week before the coup attempt.

Al-Taghyeer’s military sources also said the second-in-command of the foiled coup was deputy major at the armored forces who had a very faithful following.

The authorities did not reveal the identity of the parties involved in the coup, but indicated that the participants belonged to remnants of the annihilated regime.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Al-Taghyeer - Sudanese Minister reveals civilian involvement in coup

22/9/2021: Al-Taghyeer - Sudanese Minister reveals civilian involvement in coup

Al-Taghyeer report that the Sudanese Minister of Information, Hamza Balol, affirmed that civilians were involved in the planning of the attempted coup.

Balol accused remnants of Omar al-Bashir’s deposed regime of being complicit in the failed coup in an attempt to regain power in the country, adding efforts are ongoing in pursuing remaining members of the dissolved regime who aided in the attempt to overthrow the government.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Al-Taghyeer - Military source reveals details about the coup

22/9/2021: Al-Taghyeer - Military source reveals details about the coup, by Amal Mohammed al-Hassan

According to al-Taghyeer, a “well-informed” military source confirmed that the perpetrator of the failed coup, Major General Abdel-Baqi Al-Hassan “Al-Bakrawi” and his group, surrendered after learning that their coup plot failed.

The military source indicated that the coup began at three in the morning, with its members preventing the commander of the Armored Corps from entering his office,  but they unable to seize control of any institution or road.

“After learning of the failure of their attempt, they allowed him to enter his office”, the source added.

Al-Bakrawi and those with him were locked in another office until they were handed over to Military Intelligence.

The source denied that negotiations occurred, stating the plotters surrendered on their own, and that the number of officers involved was less than the previously reported 40. The source said they will be charged with undermining the constitutional order, although did not reveal their whereabouts.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - No politicians were involved in the aborted coup: Sudanese army

22/9/2021: Sudan Tribune - No politicians were involved in the aborted coup: Sudanese army

Sudan Tribune report that the Sudanese army said that no civilian politicians were arrested in connection with the failed coup attempt.

Sudanese army spokesman Brig-Gen Tahir Abu Haja said 21 senior officers, and a number of non-commissioned officers and soldiers, were arrested, with search operations underway to arrest remaining military suspects.

Commander of the Ground Forces, Lt-Gen Issam-al-Din Karrar, stated that the coup attempt took place in the Armoured Corps and the Airborne Forces alongside other unspecified unites, with coup plotters surrendering or being arrested without resistance. Karrar added that only one retired general was among the plotters and the others are still in service.

However, Minister of Information Hamza Balloul stated that civilians were involved in the foiled coup, adding they are members of the former regime.

Sudan Tribune state that the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Lt-Gen Abdulfattah al-Burhan, “refuses to sack Islamists from the army”.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - ‘No group has the right to monopolise power’ – Sudan army chief on coup attempt

22/9/2021: Radio Dabanga - ‘No group has the right to monopolise power’ – Sudan army chief on coup attempt

Radio Dabanga report that Sovereign Council Chairman and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Abdulfattah al-Burhan visited army corps at al-Shajara camp in south Khartoum, where the coup attempt reportedly originated.

Alongside affirming the need for unity between civilian and military forces, Al-Burhan said: “the armed forces are leading the change and take it wherever they want”.

He acknowledged that the military are also suffering the dire economic situation, in particular a shortage of spare parts and low salaries. “We already demanded the doubling of salaries,” he explained, and urged the political forces to pay attention to the state of the country.

Hundreds of people took to the streets across Sudan condemning the coup. The Sudanese Communist party said that the failure to prosecute those involved in previous coup attempts tempted others to try to take power too.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters - Sudan's military criticizes civilian politicians after coup attempt

22/9/2021: Reuters - Sudan's military criticizes civilian politicians after coup attempt, by Nafisa Eltahir

Reuters report that Sudan’s military leaders - Sovereign Council Chairman and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Abdulfattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Himedti - both accused civilian politicians of opening the door to the coup attempt by neglecting public welfare while they were consumed by internal squabbles.

Both said that civilians were pre-occupied with fighting over power positions, with al-Burhan saying that “no political party [seeks to] address citizen’s problems” and Himedti accusing civilian politicians of creating opportunities for repeated coups because they failed to address public concerns.

With political parties calling on citizens to reject military rule, al-Burhan responded: “[the military] are protecting [the revolution] from the [civilians who want to steal it]”.

Himedti said: "the military is met with humiliation and insults day and night, so how can there not be coups”.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: War On The Rocks - A Chance for Peace? The Impact of the Juba Peace Deal on Sudan’s Fragile Transition

22/9/2020: War On The Rocks - A Chance for Peace? The Impact of the Juba Peace Deal on Sudan’s Fragile Transition, by Jean-Baptiste Gallopin

 Independent researcher Jean-Baptiste Gallopin analyses the impact of the Juba peace agreement.

 Gallopin suggests that the deal, signed by Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) who “haven’t seriously fought the government in years,” will not bring peace as it fails to respond to the prevailing patterns of intercommunal violence in Sudan’s peripheries since the revolution.

 Implementation poses a challenge amid Sudan’s economic woes, with Gallopin warning that the Ministry of Finance could be weakened if a sub-agreement reviving Darfur’s regional authority incentivises other regions to demand independent administrations.

 Gallopin also warns that Sudan’s democratic prospects will fade if the deal becomes an “instrument for the ambitions of Himedti and the SRF”. With the deal weakening the civilian component of the government – which comprises of elites from the Centre - Gallopin raises the prospect of a Himedti-SRF coalition of peripheral leaders, with both parties now allowed to run for elections postponed until 2022.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources - Sudan’s new PM launches probe into protesters’ deaths

22/9/19: Multiple sources - Sudan’s new PM launches probe into protesters’ deaths

•  AP

• AFP

 Abdalla Hamdok has launched an independent investigation into the June 3 massacre, despite the military insistence on a Sudanese-led probe.

 Hamdok said the probe will be led by seven-member committee that includes a top judge, an independent figure and two attorneys. The justice, defense and interior ministries will also be represented on the committee.

 The probe, which should conclude its work within six months, could seek support from the African Union if needed, said Hamdok.

 By contrast, Sudan’s news agency said the committee will present its report within three months

 The Sudanese investigation into the massacre in July concluded that the ruling generals did not order the massacre, blaming rogue Rapid Support Forces militias.