Once again, negotiations between protesters and Sudan’s military fail

While military rulers who played crucial roles in the Bashir regime try to dominate the new era, opposition members are striving to build a fully democratic Sudan.

Sudanese protesters gather for a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum on May 19, 2019
AFP

Sudanese protesters gather for a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum on May 19, 2019

Sudan’s military rulers and protesters yet again failed to reach an agreement early on Tuesday about forming a new ruling body that would lead the country’s political transition after the end of the 30-year rule of ousted president Omar Al -Bashir. 

The two sides, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), an umbrella organisation of protesters and opposition groups, have been trying for days to set up a new era in post-Bashir Sudan. 

With the help of increasing international pressure, the protesters have managed to bring the TMC to the negotiation table to install a civilian-led administration, a key demand of thousands of demonstrators who have been protesting for months on the streets of Sudan. 


Reuters

Amna Almahi works on a mural near the defence ministry compound in Khartoum, Sudan, April 22, 2019

What is the dispute about?

The question of who will lead the ruling body, the sovereign council, sits at the centre of the dispute between the country’s military ruling and the opposition. 

Satea al Haj, a prominent opposition figure, said that the military council has insisted that the president of the sovereign council should be from the military and has “conclusively” rejected a civilian leader. 

“They are justifying it by saying the country faces security threats,” Haj said.

The protest movement insists civilians must form the majority of the body’s members, a demand resisted by the military leaders. 

Whoever dominates the governing council will indeed shape the future of a new political structure in Sudan. The council will aim to form a transitional civilian government, which would prepare the country for the first post-Bashir election following a three-year transitional period. 

While the military rulers who played crucial roles in the Bashir regime try to dominate the new era, the opposition members aim to build a fully democratic Sudan. 

Reuters

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) delivers an address after the Ramadan prayers and Iftar organized by Sultan of Darfur Ahmed Hussain in Khartoum, Sudan May 18, 2019

Have the military and protesters agreed on anything?

Yes, they have. 

Previous rounds of talks have seen the generals and protest leaders agree on key issues, including a three-year transition period and the creation of a 300-member parliament dominated by lawmakers from the opposition. 

However, tensions are still high on the streets. 

Last week, after demanding the opposition lift barricades in the capital Khartoum, the military attacked protesters, killing six people and injuring dozens. 

Abdel Fattah al Burhan, the head of the military council, suspended talks with the opposition for 72 hours after the violent outbreaks, urging them to raze the blockades in order to normalise life in the city. 

The opposition alliance that organises sit-ins in front of the military headquarters does not seem ready to leave the streets soon. They vow to continue the sit-ins against the military, which forced Bashir to resign on April 11. 

The Sudanese Professionals Association, the main group behind the mobilisation of thousands of young demonstrators, has voiced its call to keep the pressure on the army. 

“We are calling on revolutionaries to restrain themselves, be calm and peaceful and avoid any confrontation or clash with any group whatever the circumstances,” it said.

Protester Ahmed Nagdi said Sudanese people had waited for a democratic rule “for decades”. 

“It is time to achieve our goals,” he said.   

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