Sudan: Wide popular response welcoming the formation of a new government in hopes of achieving peace

The Sudanese public expressed their support for the establishment of a new government that meets their needs and provides them with services that the Military Authority has long deprived them of, as the newly established government seeks to grant them protection from the aerial bombardment that destroyed markets, service institutions, and water sources in Kordofan and Darfur states.

On Saturday, the residents of Darfur states are preparing to take to the streets, in mass demonstrations to express their support for the expected government.

The Founding Charter of the Sudanese government is expected to be signed tomorrow, Saturday, in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, by an alliance that includes political parties, Armed Movements, civil, popular and union forces, in addition to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu, which controls large areas in Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

The Collapse of Services

Mohammed Salem, a resident of the area of (Abu Zabad), western Kordofan, expressed his support for the steps taken to form the new government, stressing that it will help the residents of his area obtain food, medicine, and proper education, after they were deprived of these fundamental services due to the war.

He told (Erem News): “The Army’s intransigence and refusal to negotiate to stop the war led to the prolongation of the conflict,” adding: “We are tired, and the reality has become unbearable. We cannot obtain food or receive treatment after the total collapse of services.”

Salem pointed out that citizens are optimistic about the awaited formation of the new government, and continued: “Even if this government doesn’t provide the required services, it might pressure Al-Burhan and prompt him to choose the path of negotiations to end the war.”

“We want a unified Sudan, we don’t want any separatist steps to be taken, and we hope that this development will push the country towards a radical solution to the historical Sudanese crisis,” according to Mohammed Salem.

He emphasized his support for the meetings taking place in Nairobi regarding the establishment of a new Sudanese Authority, hoping that this particular matter will be dealt with seriously, prompting negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to stop the war.

The Mass Demonstrations in Support

Mohammed Saleh Al-Bashir, a journalist residing in the city of (Ed-Daein), East Darfur, confirmed that the meetings taking place in Nairobi regarding the establishment of a new government in Sudan have received significant support from the citizens of Darfur, as the percentage of support exceeded (90%).

He told (Erem News) that the support of the residents in the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the new government is due to the fact that those who adopted this vision discussed the urgent issues of the citizens, especially the repeated aerial bombardment carried out by the Sudanese Army’s warplanes.

The journalist confirmed that the warplanes are incessantly bombing civilians, as it targeted more than (3) areas in Darfur on Thursday.

He stated that the parties meeting in Nairobi went to great lengths to emphasize that the main goal of forming the new government is to protect civilians from warplanes and to grant them their fundamental right to obtain identification documents. He added that these documents constitute a major crisis facing the residents of Darfur.

“All residents of the West -of Sudan- face great difficulties in regards to obtaining passports and national numbers. A significant number of them want to leave Sudan for treatment and/or other purposes, however, they don’t have passports. If they go to areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), they will automatically be arrested on charges of affiliation or cooperation with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF),” according to journalist Mohammed Saleh’s statement.

He continued: “These are the issues that worry citizens in western Sudan, and that is why they welcomed the formation of a new government that provides them with these services, and they strongly supported it as a result. There are arrangements to organize mass demonstrations in the city of Ed-Daein and a number of areas on Saturday, in support of the new government.”

He pointed out that the vast majority of people in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, even those who have no connection to the Rapid Support Forces, believe that the issues raised by the expected government align with their desires, hence, it motivated them to support and welcome the awaited government.

Displacement and Asylum

For his part, citizen Omar Hassan, a refugee in a foreign country, confirmed that he supports the developments taking place in Nairobi because the war has made most -if not all- of the Sudanese people homeless, lost between displacement and asylum, at a time when Al-Burhan is stubbornly refusing to respond to calls for negotiations.

Speaking to (Erem News), he pointed out that Al-Burhan had previously stated that he would fight for (100) years, which means that he isn’t willing to stop the war and subsequently doesn’t care about the suffering of the Sudanese people. Omar Hassan emphasized his support for the new government as it promises to put forth diligent efforts to stop the war and end the citizens’ suffering.

“Entire communities have been harmed by the war and are currently being annihilated by the Sudanese Army’s Aviation, in addition to the economic deterioration in our regions. Should we wait for Al-Burhan to win after (100) years, so he can -then- consider our issues?” as Omar Hassan went on to ask.

The latest development of forming a new Sudanese government sparked widespread reactions and fueled the fears of the authority in Port Sudan, which rushed to amend the Constitutional Document in an effort to strengthen the Military’s Authority.