Sudan’s military council wants to bring Islamists to power again: opposition
April 22, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Freedom and Changes forces have decided to suspend talks with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) when they realized that the latter does not recognize them as “legitimate representatives of the revolutionary forces”, Sudan Tribune has learnt.
On Saturday evening, the head of TMC political committee Omer Zain al-Abdin called the opposition groups for a meeting to urge them to not announce their nominees for the transitional institutions telling them they plan to include all the other political forces who were part of the former regime.
The opposition groups who led the protests against the former regime of President Omer al-Bashir during the past four months then “understood that the Council is unwilling or unable to transfer power to a civilian Government,” said an opposition source under the cover of anonymity.
Also, Mohamed Dia, the representative of Baath Party in the opposition coalition told Sudan 24 TV that they took the decision to suspend the talks with the military council in a meeting held on Saturday evening after their meeting with Zain al-Abdin who is reportedly an Islamist general.
“The TMC’s political committee wants us (the forces of freedom and change) to sit with the National Congress Party and its partners so that they become part of the change,” he further added reiterating their rejection for such manoeuvres.
In a statement released after the end of a two-day visit to Khartoum, the head of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki called on the Sudanese stakeholders to show a “high sense of responsibility and to place the interests of Sudan above any other consideration”.
“The Chairperson urged all concerned stakeholders to agree on earnest on a civilian-led and consensual transition that would pave the way for the holding of free, fair and transparent elections and mark a turning point in the democratic transformation of their country,” further read the statement.
The Sudanese opposition sources say they still hope that the military council would take needed steps to reset a smooth dialogue with the Freedom and Change forces pointing that its Islamists generals have shown their “ugly face and are no longer qualified to lead the power transfer process”.
On Sunday morning, the Sudan Call external relations official Yasir Arman called for the removal of Lt. Gen. Omer Zain-al-Abdin and Lt Gen Jalal al-Sheikh from the military council saying they are remaining part of the former regime.
In addition, opposition sources in Khartoum point to the Police Lt Gen al-Tayeb Babikir saying he is the third Islamist member of the transitional council.
24 hours after the removal of the former President Omer al-Bashir, the former head of the military council Awad Ibn Ouf sacked his deputy Kamal Abdel Marouf and resigned from the council. The two were accused of being part of the Islamist generals in the army.
(ST)