The fight for a better government in Sudan is far from over, as the streets are still filled with protesters, weeks after the forceful removal of President Omar al-Bashir, who led the affairs of the country for 30 years.
The journey to al-Bashir’s removal began in 2018, following the government’s decision to devalue the nation’s currency and make cuts to bread and fuel subsidies which, in turn, worsened the country’s standard of living. These decisions did not sit well with the people and their protests quickly transitioned from a call for the government to do better, to a nationwide cry for the controversial leader to step down.
The former President was successfully ousted in a military coup led by a former ally, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, on the 11th of April.
Two Years is a Long Time:
However, victory seems to be short-lived as the Sudanese military’s decision to set up a Transitional Military Council (TMC) to serve as a two-year transitional government has led to further protests.
In protests led by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the people have called on the military to hand the government over to a civilian government, going as far as proposing a strike if their demands are not met.
While the military has stated its commitment to handing over power and creating a joint military-civilian council, the protesters, comprising of professionals such as health workers, lawyers, and also women and the youth, have placed barricades on major roads leading to the military headquarters.
In response, the military issued a warning to the protesters, asking them to remove the barricades and roadblocks in the state capital of Khartoum, warning that the situation “can’t continue like this.”
African Union Offers Ultimatum:
While acknowledging the importance of time in attending to the issues at hand in Sudan, leaders of the African Union (AU) appear to be on the side of the Sudanese protesters.
In a statement provided after a meeting convened by Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the union gave the transitional council three months to transfer power back to civilians
“The participating countries recognized the need to give more time to the Sudanese authorities and the Sudanese parties to implement these measures, taking into consideration that they will not be lengthy, and recommended that the African Peace and Security Council extend the schedule given to the Sudanese authority for three months,” said the statement.
Way Forward:
While a joint military-civilian government might not sound like a bad idea, a lot is to be considered in this case.
The Sudanese military does not have a track record that indicates that it will be willing to run a real“joint” government. It is more likely that it will exert more dominance over the civilian arm of government, making a bulk of the decisions with little or no input from its partners.
With protests worsening, observers are worried the military may eventually respond with violence, a fear the transitional council leader, General Abdel-Fattah Al Burhan, addressed in a recent interview with CNN.
