The unity of the civilian front in Sudan
Issues of Transparency, Collective Leadership and the December Revolution Agenda
By Yasir Arman
Leader of the SPLM-N Revolutionary Democratic Current
FFC leadership member
The leadership of the FFC and their strategic allies from the Resistance Committees, women’s and youth organizations, the representatives of the pro-democracy groups who represent geographical and political marginalization, civil society and the Framework Agreement, decided, mostly, to stay inside Sudan together with their people and share the suffering and aspirations of ending war and bringing to Sudan peace, democracy and equal citizenship without discrimination. Extensive work has been done to create a civilian front inside Sudan that needs to be considered.
At present, most of the leaders are going to be available outside Sudan to address issues of leadership, unite the civilian front, bring the December Revolution agenda to the front seat, and be actively involved in addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the peace process, reaching out to all Sudanese and Sudan partners and friends who support and work for peace and democracy.
Some work has been done, and to build on it, I would like to make the following observations:
1) The unity of the civilian front cannot be tasked or left to an individual or one group, no matter how they are able or qualified. It is a collective work that needs to be done in broad daylight with transparency.
2) The civilian front that includes the whole of Sudan from urban and rural areas would strategically limit the likelihood of a full-fledged civil war that is ethnic, as is the challenge in Darfur.
3) We definitely need our partners and friends, and we will work closely with them, but this process’s leadership must belong to the Sudanese themselves.
4) There is a need for an organic link between the peace process and the active participation of the civilian front. Limiting the peace process only to military representatives will not bring sustainable peace.
5) It is important to bring forward the agenda of the December Revolution to achieve a paradigm shift that is based on peace, equal citizenship without discrimination, democracy, justice and accountability, sustainable development, and building one army that is professional, non-politicized, reflects Sudanese diversity and is under civilian leadership.
6) The war liability should be changed into an asset that goes to the drawing board to establish a new political dispensation that is fair and can accommodate the wider majority interests and build a New Sudan.
7) The Islamists of the old regime who were behind and actively involved in this war should not be rewarded and involved in the process of the unified civilian front.
8) Lastly, we need a new national project that is open and carries the mutual interests of our neighbourhood, the region, and peace and stability internationally, and that can address the issues of terrorism, create space inside instead of migration outside, bring back our displaced people and refugees, address issues of human trafficking, etc. and contribute positively regionally and internationally.