Sudanese Reject Museveni’s Committee and Stick to Jeddah

The Face of Truth

Ibrahim Shaglawi
Shglawi55@gmail.com

The crisis between the Sudanese people and their government with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has persisted since the outbreak of the war in mid-April of last year, following the coup carried out by the rebellious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their supporters from the region and some political forces. This has created a crisis of trust, caused by the absence of the moral, legal, and political dimensions that both organizations are obliged to define the war by, as recognized by the Sudanese government and army, and to seek to stop it, at least as they are the government and national army representing Sudan and the Sudanese people, who are dealt with in this capacity by all countries and their regional and international organizations. This is the simplest demand of the Sudanese people and their government: to define the war accurately and to condemn the rebellion as the African Union and IGAD have done before with many other countries on the continent. The recent rebellion in Ethiopia is a clear example.

In the Sudanese case, where the African Union appears to be in a miserable and submissive state, its decision being hijacked by parties that are supporting the foreign guardianship project and the seizure of Sudan’s state, the Sudanese people had hoped for a condemnation of the rebellion and all the atrocities and violations committed against them. If this condemnation had come early from the African Union, it would have significantly contributed to stopping the war and limiting its prolonged duration. It would have certainly spared Sudanese blood and safeguarded their security.

Unfortunately, the African Union and its organizations, along with IGAD, have continued to view the war in Sudan from the perspective of other countries, which are responsible for igniting and supporting the war to this day. Neither the African Union nor IGAD has even hinted at condemning it. In fact, some African countries, once considered by Sudan as friendly allies, have gone so far as to receive the leader of the rebellion after sparking the war, giving him the reception typically reserved for heads of state, even while today they claim to be keen on ending the war after nearly two years, when the Sudanese Armed Forces were close to defeating the rebellion for the sake of Sudanese unity and security.

Thus, how can the African Union expect a response from the Sudanese government and the Sudanese people to its war cessation initiatives when they have no trust in it? The African Union is the same organization that suspended Sudan’s membership and views the war through the lens of the very party that ignited it and violated the most heinous rights abuses against them, as confirmed by several human rights and humanitarian organizations.

Therefore, when Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Hussein Awad, announced in an interview with the Future Center for Strategic Studies and Risk Assessment that the Sudanese government would not accept any external imposition of solutions to its issues, and that the war had revealed Sudan’s true friends, he was speaking with conviction. He was expressing the results that the Sudanese people and their government had come to as a result of this war, particularly given the shameful stances of their African neighbors and several regional and international organizations.

This also implicitly applies to the initiative of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, which was recently mentioned, and the five-party summit chaired by him on October 23rd of this year, which is said to bring together Sudanese President and Commander of the Army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and rebel leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to discuss the Sudanese war.

This summit has been described by observers as being driven by the regional supporter of the rebellion after losing his battle against the Sudanese state on the ground, due to the steadfastness and bravery of the Sudanese army and the unity of the Sudanese people with it. Therefore, Sudanese Foreign Minister’s statement was clear and consistent with the vision of the leadership and the Sudanese people. He said:
“In the third week of October this year, a five-party committee was formed by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council under the chairmanship of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni regarding Sudan. This is a flawed committee. The African Union suspended Sudan’s membership and is trying to play a role. The African Union will have no role unless Sudan’s membership is reinstated in the organization, after which it can contribute and participate in resolving its issues. Sudan will not accept any imposed solutions to its issues from abroad, whether under Museveni’s leadership or anyone else. The Sudanese issue is left to Sudan and its people.”

This statement, which observers considered a clear rejection of the five-party committee’s efforts under President Museveni’s leadership, was welcomed by wide sections of the Sudanese public, who emphasized that ending the war requires holding the rebellion accountable for what it signed in Jeddah last year.

Thus, the face of truth remains in emphasizing the importance of achieving peace and restoring security to the Sudanese people, after the war has caused them displacement, forced migration, and numerous violations committed by the rebellious forces against them. This can be ensured by the rebellion leaving the homes of civilians and public facilities, handing over their weapons, and joining military camps in preparation for integrating the remaining members of these forces into the army, according to the Sudanese Armed Forces Law. This is achieved through the Jeddah Agreement on security and humanitarian arrangements signed on May 11 of last year.

Additionally, it is crucial for Sudanese people to reach consensus on national issues and to authorize the army to govern the country for a specified period, with a government of national competencies from civilians, which is non-partisan, ensuring the management of the post-war period until fair elections are held in which all Sudanese participate without exclusion or marginalization of anyone. These essential criteria alone guarantee stability and the restoration of security and peace.

Wishing you well and good health.