Democratic Bloc asserts political independence, denies military influence
June 4, Addis Ababa — The Sudanese Democratic Bloc has reaffirmed that its political decision-making remains strictly independent and completely free from external interference, including that of the country’s armed forces.
The assertion follows internal fractures that surfaced within the coalition over participation in the high-profile meetings of the international Quintet Mechanism on Sudan, which are currently underway in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
In an exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune on Thursday in Addis Ababa, Dr. Nidal Hisham, the official spokesperson for the Democratic Bloc, played down the significance of internal discords. She described the contrasting viewpoints as a healthy reflection of robust democratic engagement.
“The variance in positions within the bloc is evidence of vitality in free democratic action, which transparently reflects deep respect for divergent opinions,” Dr. Hisham stated. “Despite these differences, the Democratic Bloc’s delegation arrived here with an official mandate from the coalition’s top leadership.”
Addressing the developments surrounding the Quintet Mechanism over the last two days, Dr. Hisham explained that the bloc’s foreign relations policy has been subject to rigorous discussion since its second organizational meeting in late April, which she labeled the true launchpad of their recent political activity.
“We engaged in comprehensive deliberations regarding our engagement with the international community, and concluded that it is absolutely vital to be physically present and articulate our political vision across all international platforms,” she explained. “A policy of empty seats yields no benefits if we genuinely wish to achieve a definitive resolution to the ongoing Sudanese crisis.”
Dr. Hisham forcefully dismissed allegations that any political faction exerts influence over the decisions of the military leadership, stressing the complete institutional independence of the army since the outbreak of the war.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces possess an ancient and deeply rooted history of protecting the Sudanese people and safeguarding their national gains,” she losses. “Following the outbreak of the war, all choices made by the Sudanese army belong exclusively to it and are issued solely by the General Command of the Armed Forces. It has absolutely no links to any political forces or civilian organizations.”
The spokesperson further clarified that all constituent groups of the Democratic Bloc—including the factions currently boycotting the Addis Ababa sessions—had been active participants in all previous rounds of the Quintet Mechanism. She revealed that the recent dispute stemmed from procedural preferences rather than fundamental strategic shifts.
“The reservation that was recently raised consists merely of a request submitted by the Bloc to the Quintet Mechanism to hold a preparatory meeting prior to the official consultative sessions. The Mechanism agreed to this request,” Dr. Hisham stated.
She also rejected any claims of a lack of transparency or ambiguity surrounding the selection of delegation members. She affirmed that extensive and deep consultations had taken place regarding the nominees, adding that the Chairman of the Democratic Bloc had formally addressed all participants with official letters before the start of the Mechanism’s proceedings.
Concluding her remarks, the spokesperson reiterated the bloc’s solid support for the national army and all sovereign state institutions. She underlined that the bloc’s decisions represent an exclusively civilian political ownership, and emphasized the coalition’s absolute right to express its views according to the agreed-upon national constants.
Dr. Hisham noted that the Democratic Bloc has consistently spearheaded and prioritized calls for a comprehensive “Sudanese-Sudanese” dialogue, identifying it as the pioneering and essential pathway to extract the nation from its current dark tunnel.