Experts: Port Sudan government maneuvers to grant Al Burhan legitimacy
Experts described the roadmap proposed by the Port Sudan Authority, which is subject to the authority of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), as a “political maneuver” to gain domestic sympathy and mislead the international community, in order to grant the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan the legitimacy to represent Sudan in regional and international organizations.
The experts shared, in statements to (Erem News), that Al-Burhan seeks, through the proposal of this roadmap, to lift the suspension of Sudan’s membership in the African Union (AU), and to grant the Port Sudan Authority the legitimacy to represent the country in the Union, before the announcement of the civilian government expected to be formed in the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Sudanese Military government announced on Sunday the proposal of “A roadmap to prepare for the post-war phase and resume the comprehensive political process.”
The Ministry explained in a statement that the roadmap encompasses “Launching a comprehensive national dialogue for all political and societal forces, in addition to welcoming everyone who adopts a patriotic position and sides with the patriots.”
The roadmap also includes “Forming a Technocratic government of independent patriots to resume the tasks of the transitional period, assisting the State in the matter of overcoming the consequences of the war, making the necessary amendments to the Constitutional Declaration, in accordance with the national and societal forces’ approval, and then choosing a civilian Prime Minister to manage the State’s executive body without interference.”
The Foreign Ministry indicated that the roadmap encompasses “Affirming freedom of opinion and political action without destroying the homeland or violating national constants, and without depriving any citizen of their right to obtain a passport.”
The “roadmap” was proposed less than (24) hours after a political statement was made by the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army. It was different from his norm, dating back to the beginning of the war, about two years ago.
On Saturday, Al-Burhan announced the annulment of his previous decisions regarding depriving a number of Sudanese citizens from obtaining passports, on the pretext of their affiliation with the Rapid Support Forces.
He also attacked the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the era of former President Omar Al-Bashir, for the first time, stating that the Party wouldn’t be able to return to power over the remains of the Sudanese people, at a time when this Party is being accused of igniting the war and being involved -in the war- with a number of armed militias.
An Initiative to Continue the War
The spokesperson for the Coordination-body of the Democratic and Civil Forces (Tagadom) commented on the aforementioned development, he considered what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed to be an initiative to continue the war; because it seeks to ascertain Al-Burhan’s position as President and eliminate the Rapid Support Forces, according to him.
Al-Jak shared in a statement to (Erem News) that “The conditions mentioned in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs practically convey the path to end the war in accordance with the desires of the Port Sudan government, the surrender of the Rapid Support Forces and their disappearance from existence, in addition to instating Al-Burhan as President with the blessing of the political forces that supported the coup.”
He added, “This practically means the continuation of the war, and thus it cannot be said that there is a new initiative or vision other than what is previously known.”
Regarding the statements of the Army Commander-in-Chief that preceded the announcement of the roadmap, Al-Jak added: “Al-Burhan spoke in a positive spirit, but he still -unfortunately- adheres to the military decisiveness as a formula to end the war.”
Under Consideration
For his part, the head of the Eastern Sudan Civil Forces Alliance, Saleh Ammar, announced that the roadmap proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is under consideration by the Alliance’s components, and there is no official position yet, adding, “We will respond, if necessary, after consideration and consultation.”
Ammar shared in a statement to (Erem News) that the Alliance welcomes -in principle- any steps towards dialogue, to bring the country out of the dredges of war and into peace.
He added that “Al-Burhan is required to take a number of practical steps, most notably of which is stopping the violations committed by the Sudanese Army and various militias, especially the militias of the Islamic Movement.”
Saleh Ammar stressed that Al-Burhan is also required to completely sever ties with the Islamic Movement led by Ali Karti, expel it from political power in Port Sudan, and maintain the Sudanese Army as a force that represents all the Sudanese components, not the Islamic Movement or any political or intellectual Movement.
He pointed out that Al-Burhan is also required to deal positively with initiatives to stop the war, establish peace, and end the human suffering of the Sudanese people.
The head of the Eastern Sudan Civil Forces Alliance continued, “If Al-Burhan proved to be agreeable in regards to these aspects, then undoubtedly, it will provide an opportunity and prepare for a real dialogue that leads to solving the Sudanese crisis.”
Misleading the International Community
Political analyst Daoud Khater believes that the roadmap proposed by the Sudanese Military authority is nothing more than a political maneuver to gain the sympathy of political forces domestically, with the aim of misleading the regional and international community as well.
He told (Erem News) that the proposed roadmap is a message directed abroad more than at home, indicating that Al-Burhan’s main goal from this maneuver is for the African Union to accept his numerous requests to lift the suspension of Sudan’s membership in the African Union and obtain the legitimacy that he has been searching for since his coup against the transitional government in October (2021).
Daoud Khater explained that Al-Burhan wants his authority to reinstate its membership in the African Union, before the announcement of the parallel government, that is expected to be formed in the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, in an effort to reduce the chances of the newly formed government gaining the legitimacy to represent Sudan in regional and international organizations.
Khater added that “The roadmap doesn’t go beyond the context of maneuvering and buying time, and its contents don’t differ much from the maneuvers that former President Omar Al-Bashir used to propose whenever he went through a crisis that threatened his authority,” stressing that the civilian government represents the real threat to Al-Burhan’s authority in Port Sudan.
