U.S. top diplomat for Africa presses Sudanese military to restore civilian government

June 13, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee pressed the Sudanese military leaders to restore the civilian-led government adding that it was crucial for the resumption of economic aid.

Phee was on a five-day visit to Khartoum from June 5-9 to encourage the Sudanese stakeholders to engage in a dialogue process to establish a framework for a civilian-led transitional government.

In a statement released on Monday, the US embassy in Khartoum said that the senior diplomat met with Sudanese political parties civil society groups and peace signatory groups.

In her meeting with the coup leaders, she urged to implement the confidence-building measures and to hold accountable the security agents who killed over 100 protesters and perpetrators of sexual assaults.

“She also underscored the urgent imperative of ceding power to a civilian-led transitional government and made clear there would be no resumption of U.S. assistance until the democratic transition is restored,” reads the statement.

The U.S. top diplomat for Africa and the Saudi Ambassador Ali bin Hassan Jaffar brokered a meeting between the military rulers and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) on June 9, to discuss ways to end the current crisis.

She is pressed by Congress to take measures against the Sudanese military who make pledges without implementing them.

“The time for constructive dialogue and action to establish a civilian-led transitional framework is now,” stressed the statement.

Following the meeting, the tripartite mechanism paused the dialogue process which they launched on June 8, without the FFC, the main rival of the coup leaders.

The three facilitators on Friday, June 10, 2022, met with the FFC leaders. It is not clear if they will respond to the coalition’s demand to not involve in the first phase of dialogue political groups allied to the former regime and now supporting the military component

(ST)