23 November 2024
Apr 16, 2019 by Afnan Hassab -

Everything You Need To Know About Sudan Right Now: Part II

Image credit: Mamouda

On 11 April, Defense Minister, Awad Ibn Auf announced the ousting of Omar Al Bashir and the formation of a new transitional Military Council. Ibn Auf was then sworn in as de facto ruler of the Military Council with Lieutenant General Omar Zain Al Abidin as deputy head of the Military Council. Even though the Military Council declared that this is not a military coup, they faced great push back and unmistakable rejection by the demonstration.

On 12 April, after a press conference held earlier in the day, Ibn Auf announced his stepping down after the resignation of his vice president and passed on the rule to Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan.

His step down came as a surprise to many and not much of a surprise to others as Ibn Auf has already announced in his first statement that a second announcement will be made. Some explained this as Ibn Auf testing the waters.

Moreover, the streets of Sudan witnessed celebrations all night long where the protesters chanted, ‘Today it really fell. The blood of the martyrs didn’t go in vain’.

Video of the Coptic church in Al-Amarat ringing its bells in celebration.

https://twitter.com/Reemox007/status/1116836386252963840

Sudanese diaspora in other countries also took to the streets to celebrate the stepping down of Ibn Auf.

However, despite the celebrations and happiness, protesters still did not lose sight of their demands. They expressed their determination to stay until the power is handed to a civilian government and that they are happy about the removal of Ibn Auf not the rule of Burhan.

Soon after this announcement, on Friday, 12 April, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan was sworn in as the new de facto ruler with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemiti, was appointed deputy of Sudan’s transitional military council.

Hemiti then issued a statement listing a number of demands, and despite his demands seeming harmless and in support of the demands of the people, many questioned his intentions and expressed their distrust saying that allowing him to stay in power will be betrayal of the people of Darfur as Hemiti is notoriously known for leading many crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Moreover, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the entity spearheading the anti-government protests, issued a statement saying that despite the stepping down of Ibn Auf, the demands of the uprising and Freedom and Change declaration haven’t been met, henceforth the revolution is not over and people should continue to protest.

It was at this point that the people began to divide, some in support of SPA’s statement and others opposing it as they found it insensible. However, SPA didn’t face backlash over the statement alone but also speculations about the identity of the body began to rise as some felt that it was now safe from the people behind SPA to reveal their selves.

https://twitter.com/AWABENHO/status/1116825190615453697

However, many took to social media explaining why they support SPA’s statement and why it is still unsafe for them to reveal their selves.

People also expressed their concern towards Burhan himself calling his rule ‘rebranding’ of the old regime as he played a major role in sending Sudanese children to fight in the front lines for Saudi Arabia in their war against Yemen.

https://twitter.com/marwanonthemoon/status/1116646888562929664

https://twitter.com/3ozaz/status/1117340503576543232?s=20

On Saturday, 13 April, the head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salih, widely known as Salih Ghosh, who oversaw sweeping crackdown against the protesters since the break out of Sudan Uprising resigned from his position.

Later that day, the Military Council, headed by Abdelfattah Burhan, issued a statement where he said,

  • A military council will rule for a period no longer than two years, and in the mean time, civilian transitional government will be formed
  • All those responsible for bloodshed will be prosecuted
  • All state institutions will be reconstructed
  • Curfew instated by his predecessor was lifted

SPA also announced the names of the members of the official negotiating team, which consists of:

  1. Mohammed Naji Alasam
  2. Taha Osman Ishaq
  3. Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed
  4. Ibrahim Abdul-illah Abdul Mawla
  5. Qumeria Omar Mohammed Hussein
  6.  Mohammed Amin Abdulaziz

Coalition of Freedom and Change also issued a statement. Some of the points made are: 

  • Rejection of any tutelage from abroad
  • Refusal of any form of military authority governing the country
  • All components of the Declaration of Freedom and Change agree on a transitional period of four years
  • Army is required to secure and protect the transitional period, not rule or negotiate 
  • Burhan is not welcome and must step down

More than a million protesters are still in the mass sit-in, surrounding the headquarters of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which began on 6 April, continuously demanding for the downfall of the military regime. There have been attempts to break and disperse protests but protesters still arrived to SAF and continued to stage a sit-in.

Christian hymns, cultural music and dances, and artwork were performed as part of the ongoing anti-government protests.

Artwork of the martyrs of the Sudan uprising have been painted on the walls of University of Khartoum and protesters have carried images of the martyrs in protests. More than 70 have been killed since the anti-government protests began in December 2018.

Afnan Hassab describes herself as your typical dreamy millennial. A 22-year-old surgeon-in-the-making by morning and a struggling writer and blogger, by night. Dedicated humanitarian, unwavering feminist, relentless debater, obsessive cleaner and a coffee addict among other things. Born and raised in Jeddah, KSA. Went to college in Sudan. Based somewhere between these two countries and more.

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Apr 13, 2019

Apr 26, 2019
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