Burhan adviser says new transitional government to be formed soon
April 7, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – The media advisor to the Head of the Sovereign Council stated Thursday that Sudan would see a “new political reality” in the coming days, referring to the formation of a new transitional government.
“Brigadier General Dr Taher Abu Haja confirmed the formation of a new political reality in the coming period, taking advantage of all sincere national initiatives led by Sudanese entities and bodies that are keen on the interest of Sudan and its stability. And they want to make the transitional period a success with all its sovereign, executive, justice institutions, electoral commission and other institutions,” reads a statement released by the official news agency SUNA.
“The formation of the next government (…) represents the desire and choices of the silent majority, which had been hurt by chaos and political barbarism,” Abu Haja further said.
The statements of al-Burhan’s spokesman about a new transitional cabinet come while the UN, AU and IGAD are preparing to launch an intra-Sudanese dialogue process to restore a transitional government on the basis of the Constitutional Declaration signed with the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).
A draft political agreement was recently circulated in a few What’s App groups and seen by the Sudan Tribune provides to establish a transitional government after a month of its signing by political parties, civil society, professionals groups and the armed forces.
The signatories further would include the traditional leaders of the Native Administration and Sufi sheikhs, two social groups that have been courted by the army.
“The armed forces are the founding and sponsoring authority of the transition, and take over the powers of the Security and Defence Council because of its military position, similar to the experience of the transition of April 1985,” reads the text.
Three sources from groups that back the draft deal, told Reuters that the draft deal “had support from some political parties aligned with the military, former rebels who signed a peace deal in 2020, and some tribal and religious leaders”.
The draft deal reflects ideas that the military council of 2019 had sought to promote but failed at the time to draw the support of political forces or civil society groups.
After the support of the October 2021 coup by some armed groups among the signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement, and some political groups that were allied to the former regime, the military and their allied groups believe that it has become possible to bypass the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) they often describe as minority groups.
The promoters of the new political declaration seek to convince the National Umma Party as al-Burhan met recently in Cairo with the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani. Also, some splinter factions of his party reunited themselves.
Sudan’s coup leaders were warned against pushing through a deal for a new transitional government that formalizes the army’s grip on power, with people familiar with the proposal saying it wouldn’t lead to the resumption of crucial Western aid.
Citing Western diplomat, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that “Sudan’s coup leaders were warned against pushing through a deal for a new transitional government that formalizes the army’s grip on power”.
The report did not say who warned the military leaders against such a move that will hinder the efforts by the internationally supported UN-AU-IGAD process to restore a civilian-led transitional government.
FFC leading member Yasir Arman told Bloomberg that attempts to form a new transitional government excluding the revolution’s forces would not succeed.
“They have no popular support and they are deeply isolated both inside and outside the country,” he added.
Five months after the coup, the Sudanese security forces failed to quell the anti-coup protest movement that erupted on October 25, 2021.
(ST)