„The Only Way Forward is for Bashir to Step Down and a New Interim Democratic Arrangement Put in Place.“ By Yasir Arman On Sunday, 6th of January, Sudan has witnessed one of the biggest demonstrations during Bashir’s regime, especially in the capital of Khartoum, Madani and Atbara. The demonstrations have now entered the third week. In terms of strength, size and duration, these demonstrations are unprecedented in the last 63 years since the independence of Sudan in 1956 and longer in duration than the revolutions of 1964 and 1985 against the totalitarian regimes.
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These demonstrations are different in nature than the so-called Arab Spring. The Arab Spring was lead among many forces by the political Islam groups. In Sudan, this revolution is anti-political Islam fascism and its deep state. It has been marked by the demands for bread, peace, freedom and equal citizenship. This revolution in Sudan, which is a huge ongoing process, is a tsunami against all odds and it has brought into the political scene a new generation of women and men who have shown impressive courage against the fascism of political Islam, and they have marked a qualitative change in the struggle of the urban and rural areas of Sudan. It constitutes the foundation of a new civil rights movement. The regime is denying access to accurate information of the peaceful demonstrators who were killed by live bullets from the regime forces and those who were wounded and detained. Reliable sources within the medical community from different Sudanese hospitals and clinics gave an estimation that at least more than 70 were killed, especially in Gadarif city, where more than 20 were killed. Some of them were buried by security without their family’s notification and agreement. Hundreds are being injured. More than 2,000 activists and political leaders were arrested. Some of them were released. In Sunday’s demonstration in Khartoum, the regime had no space in its prison facilities to detain more, and they were thinking of moving detainees to their facilities outside of Khartoum. The regime targeted, in particular, youth and women. Some were beaten and tortured.
Despite the regime denying access to the internet, activists managed to record and send a huge amount of material documenting the events of the last three weeks. As of now, the brain of the system is totally confused and sharply divided as the majority of the Islamists see Bashir as a liability. They themselves want to get rid of him and to re-produce their system. As of now, there is a joint opposition centre from the professionals, the Sudan Call, the National Consensus Forces, and many other opposition forums who are working together. They have signed a joint declaration for “Freedom and Change.” This united opposition centre is planning for more demonstrations on the 9th of January, demanding Bashir to step down and a new democratic interim arrangement established in his place. The more peaceful protests grow in size; it will lead to a civil strike and civil disobedience and will eventually force the army to take the side of the people. Despite the complexity within the army and that Bashir has restructured the Rapid Support Forces into four divisions, trying to use them to threaten the army, and he has systematically marginalized the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, General Mohammed Hemati, Bashir is losing, systematically, his grip and many in the army and security communities are against him. He is being seen as a liability for his own system and for Sudan.
Some Islamist prominent leaders and young activists have supported the uprising. We are of the opinion that they should be welcomed since they are supporting the change. What we need to remove is the political Islam system, but the Islamic movement, in particular, those who are pro-democracy, they will continue within the new parameters of democratization. It is worth mentioning too that many of the political parties of the National Dialogue have decided to quit the regime. Sudan is entering a totally new phase with a new environment; therefore, it requires a new policy from Africa and the international community. Business as usual, partial solutions and repackaging of the old system will never work. Those who are dealing with Sudan need seriously to update themselves and to look for a new way forward. Sudan needs a formula that will bring peace and democracy hand in hand. It is clear that peace will not sustain without democracy, and democracy will also not sustain in a war environment; therefore we need democracy and to end wars as one package.
That is the only way forward to address the cardinal issues of peace and democratization, equal citizenship and sustainable development. The only way forward is for Bashir to step down and to open the way for a new democratic interim arrangement that can bring accountability and justice, the end of corruption, national consensus, end the wars, gear the resources of the country (clean water, health, etc.) towards the needs of ordinary citizens, and open the way for a national constitutional conference that will answer the key question, “How Sudan is going to be governed” before “Who is going to govern Sudan.” By the end of the interim period, the Sudanese people shall exercise their right for a free and democratic election that will usher Sudan into democracy and peaceful exchange of power and end 30 years of one-man and one-party rule. It will mark the end of violence in Sudan. What is happening in Sudan right now is a great opportunity for the renewal of the country. The author is the Deputy Chairperson of the SPLM-N and Secretary for External Affairs of the Sudan Call.
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20 days after the Sudanese protests that broke out on December 19, condemning the high prices of fuel and bread and the lack of liquidity in the banks, the popular uprising entered a new tunnel in the face of the regime of President Omar al-Bashir, who continues to hold his position, rejecting all demands to step down in order to preserve The future of his country.
Bashir, after the failure of promises made to the protesters to absorb the anger of the street, resorted to a new strategy in dealing with the protests after raising the ceiling of their demands without the desire to make any concessions, rallying supporters on the street in the face of the protests lasted three weeks, accompanied by the mechanism of repression and arrests of activists and politicians .
The Sudanese authorities after the failure of the security grip and arrests in the suppression of demonstrations tend to the option of confronting the opposition crowds with other supporters, and demonstrations condemning their support, an option that some described as "playing with fire" for the consequences that may result from disasters in the event of clashes between the two sides.
Gedaref renews protests
After two days of relative calm that prevailed in most areas, several Sudanese cities, led by the city of Gadarif (east) and Abri (north), witnessed a wave of mass demonstrations that renewed the president's demand. Step down.
The beginning was with the gathering of thousands of Gedaref citizens in the main market of the city, accompanied by the fall of the regime and the departure of Bashir. Despite the police chasing them through tear gas, the protesters soon gathered in large numbers in other areas and so on.
The Sudanese president, after accusing some of the traitors and agents of exploiting the "weak souls for sabotage, burning and looting" in the country, settled on a number of other strategies to counter that wave of protest
It is noteworthy that Gadarif among the major state cities that witnessed the destruction and burning of the headquarters of the National Convention and some sites and government vehicles, during the first wave of protest and killed six people, mostly high school students, but the demonstrations of the past two days were not killed under the slogans of peaceful They were lifted by the demonstrators and avoided contact with security forces.
The gathering of Sudanese professionals, who called for organizing the protest on his Facebook social networking site, confirmed that the peaceful procession, in which thousands participated, arrived at the Legislative Council building. A representative of the group read a memorandum calling for Bashir to step down with cheers and cheers.
Crowds in the face of crowds
In response to the ongoing protests over the past 20 days that have sanctified the popular rejection of Bashir's policies, it seems that the Sudanese president, after accusing some of the traitors and agents of exploiting "weak souls for sabotage, burning and looting" in the country, has settled on a number of other strategies to counter that wave of protest.
After his visit to the island of the island on the 25th of last December coincided with the march of the first palace, went yesterday to the city of Atbara, the state of the River Nile, which sparked the first spark of the protests .
Bashir, in a speech during his attendance at the National Shooting Festival in its 55th edition, which is hosting this year the leadership of the artillery in the state, confirmed that the armed forces are able to protect the gains of the country, again the support of the army and his regime, a position announced earlier by the beginning of the protests The military leaders of the demonstrators, directed his call for what he called the "rebels" to return to the country to "build it together."
On the other hand, the Committee of political forces to address the crisis, which was formed by the forces of national dialogue, organized the march on Wednesday under the name of "peace of Sudan", Martyrs Square south of the presidential palace, is scheduled to address Bashir and a number of leaders of parties and political forces supporting the regime.
President of ut-Tahrir and Justice Party and Minister of Labor Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, said at a press conference last Sunday that the dialogue forces saw support for this unity to strengthen unity. "The march is a renewal of the covenant and a promise" And work to resolve the crisis, especially issues related to corruption and break brokering, fuel, cash and bread.
It is worth mentioning that Bashir and in a television interview a few days ago confirmed that the only option to change the system is the ballot boxes, directed his speech to those who demand to step down from power to prepare for the upcoming elections to reach power in 2020, considering that "the step of the parties of the National Front for Change, Demanding him to form a transitional sovereignty council to run the affairs of the country, came from party leaders exempted from ministries.
Other voices reduced the size of this apprehension, especially after the ruling party decided to organize its march in the Green Square, south of Khartoum, while the opposition forces gathered at the martyrs station.
Repeat the Egyptian experience
It seems that the rapprochement between the Sudan and Egypt in recent days not only to remove the tension between the two countries after years of political and media conflict in view of the divergent views on some files, as it seems that the Sudanese regime is following the example of the Egyptian even in the suppression of protests and scenarios to face.
In February 2011, the Egyptian scene was divided into two images. The first was the January 25 revolutionaries and their supporting forces in the heart of Tahrir square. The second was the supporters of the Mubarak regime in Mustafa Mahmoud Square in Giza, and as the events unfolded, the two sides met in more than one confrontation that resulted in casualties.
The same scene was repeated in 2013 when supporters of the counterrevolution gathered in the heart of Tahrir Square under the patronage and patronage of the armed forces and the police, while the revolutionaries and the Islamic forces supporting them in the field of Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahdah, then flags and gifts were received on the demonstrators in Tahrir Square, while the warning messages and gas shots And then the live bullets of the protesters who defend their revolution in the heart of the fourth and Renaissance.
And by the end of 2012 mobilized the forces that joined the name of the "Salvation Front" for a march towards the presidential palace in opposition to the constitutional amendment issued by the then Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, causing the clashes with supporters of Morsi and defenders of the gains of the revolution at the time, Of the dead and wounded on both sides, as well as the adoption of crowd policy in the face of crowds followed by supporters of the counter-revolution at the time.
Play with fire
A state of anticipation and anxiety prevailed in the Sudanese street with the announcement of crowds supporting Bashir in response to the opposition, as some expressed fear of a breakthrough for both sides of the other party, which means the fall of the number of victims may be difficult to limit if both sides of the wisdom and Troy.
Sudanese journalist Tahir Abu Bakr confirmed that the government and the ruling party by allowing their supporters to support Bashir and the political, moral and moral, as it is not reasonable to be marches under the auspices of the army and police, while the anti-tear gas protests met with live bullets and arrests.
"The Egyptian experience in this regard is not far, with the big difference between the two experiences, which may make the situation in Sudan a real massacre in the event of the outbreak of such confrontations, stressing that Bashir What happened to this scenario only after the real concern about his future and his distorted image globally after the huge crowds that came out asking him to step down.
Other voices reduced the size of this fear, especially after the ruling party decided to organize its march in the green arena, south of Khartoum, while the opposition forces gathered at the Martyrs station before starting to the headquarters of the parliament in the city of Omdurman itself, but the danger lies here in the The calls on the social networking sites that play the chord of the rally support and cheers of the fall of Bashir in the course of his speech, which means a bloody clash between the parties if this happens.
The Sudanese are locked up in the next few hours for fear of any confrontation between support and denunciation, or to penetrate either side to rally the other, especially in light of the predominance of the army and police backing. However, Bashir's resort to this difficult option reflects his critical position To provide him with the last remaining leaves of pressure.
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We know that democracy can be without a tradition or after it has been disturbed. We also have no good experience after November 1989. For certain countries and periods, therefore, the better government of the enlightened, powerful leader than the "people's government" is often better. Everything is about education, education and personal example.
J.Š.13.1.2019
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