Date: Thursday, 12 September 2024
If the Sudanese military wins the current civil war, they will enact a period of strict military oversight for at least 15 to 20 years after its end, while permitting elections for civilian officials, such as a prime minister, who would be subordinate to the army chief.
That’s according to Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta, the Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces. He made the remark Tuesday while visiting Mu’aqeel, a military camp south of Shendi in River Nile State.
“The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces will remain the head of state with sovereign powers even after the elections—not only during the transitional period, but also after the elections—for up to three or four election cycles.”
“And I swear to God that the military establishment will examine Sudan again with a microscope and there will be no leniency.”
Historically, the duration of a presidential term in Sudan has varied from four to six years. Under the 2005 constitution, the presidential term was five years. So a period of three to four election cycles is equivalent to 15-20 years. That would be in addition to a transitional period (post-war, pre-election) of unspecified duration.
The general’s statement was impromptu and given in a military setting, not in a formal political setting, and it contradicts some previous statements by top officials. Nevertheless, it gives a window into the thinking of the generals who control Sudan’s government. They are deeply skeptical of democratic processes and fear that a quick political transition could allow their enemies to take power.
Al-Atta is one of several top generals of the former Islamist regime who seized power in a coup d'état in October 2021, ousting a civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, who had held office for nearly two years (2019-2021) after the fall of the old regime. In addition to being the assistant commander-in-chief of the military, Al-Atta is a member of the Transitional Sovereignty Council.
His comment drew widespread condemnation from politicians of varied backgrounds.
“What General Yasser al-Atta said is part of the reasons for the war, as the Armed Forces have remained steadfast in holding onto power and controlling the country's economy, using their authority to serve a minority,” said Bakry Eljack, spokesperson of the Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), which opposes the current war and has called for an immediate ceasefire.
Al-Jak added, “Al-Burhan has ambitions to remain in power, which is why he staged the coup against Hamdok's government on October 25, 2021, when the presidency of the Sovereignty Council was supposed to be transferred to civilians.'"
Similarly, Mohammed al-Ta’ishi, a former member of the Sovereignty Council, said that Al-Atta’s statement reflected all the worst aspects of the military establishment in Sudan, including “arrogance, lack of patriotism, interference in politics, violence towards society and non-objective aspirations, which historically represent the essence of the imbalances and defects of the Armed Forces.”
He predicted that the current war will end the old political cycle, in which the Armed Forces played a major role, and mark the “beginning of a new cycle based on establishing and building the state on new and just foundations.”
Even a pro-war journalist, Ahmed Al-Balal Al-Tayeb, said that Al-Atta had gone too far, calling the remark an “unexpected surprise.”
“With all our appreciation for Lieutenant General Al-Atta and the Armed Forces, which we support without limits...this statement is not successful, and raises a lot of controversy and doubts about the intention to impose a military dictatorship,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Sudan’s military now controls only about half of the country, having lost key battles to the Rapid Support Forces over the past year and a half. However, seasonal rains have paused or limited fighting in several combat zones over the past two months. The military has used this lull in the fighting to acquire new weapons, reinforce frontlines, and train new troops. The generals believe that these measures will turn the tide. They spurned U.S.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva last month.
Speaking at a different military site in River Nile on Tuesday, Al-Atta alluded to plans for an upcoming military offensive southward from Shendi into northern Khartoum State and beyond. “Our battle from here is Jaili, and East Nile, and Hantoub, and Madani, and all the villages of Madani [Jazeera State],” he said.
In this publication we have previously warned that SAF were building up forces in River Nile in preparation for an offensive south into Khartoum Bahri.
Hamar tribal fighters allied with the Sudanese military clashed with the Rapid Support Forces in Al-Khowi east of An-Nahud in West Kordofan on Monday evening, amid claims that they had driven the RSF out of the town. This area has seen fighting before as the RSF have failed to take full control of West Kordofan despite dominating most of the state.
The Atbara General Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced to death by hanging an alleged collaborator of the RSF, according to the state-run Sudan News Agency.
The RSF clashed with SAF along the border of Blue Nile State, between Guli and Gireiwa (very approximately at 11.78, 33.50), seizing a handful of prisoners and some equipment, according to videos filmed by RSF combatants in this area.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs disclosed that a member of the U.S. Embassy Khartoum local guard force was killed in RSF custody. She said he was “a respected colleague and friend to many in the embassy community.”
At least 21 people were killed and 70 others wounded by RSF shelling of the city of Sennar, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.
Five civilians were killed in a SAF airstrike, including three women, in Ed Daien in East Darfur State on Monday evening, and five others were injured. A citizen told Radio Dabanga that the six explosive barrels were dropped on residential areas of the city, saying it was the sixth bombing of its kind since last August.
Airstrikes were also reported in Mellit, Jebel Amer, and east of El Fasher.
Heavy seasonal rains, inadequate access to drinking water, and woeful living conditions for displaced people have contributed to the spread of cholera in eastern and central Sudan, as well as pink eye, dengue fever, and other infections.
Health authorities declared a cholera outbreak in August, including in the states of Kassala, Gedaref, and River Nile. So far there have been more than 5,000 cases and 190 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The outbreak worsened sharply in the second half of August as the number of weekly cases quadrupled.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it has set up cholera treatment centers in several areas and provided support to treatment facilities in other areas where cases are surging. Between the end of August and 9 September, MSF treated 2,165 patients.
Frank Ross Katambula, MSF medical coordinator, appealed for better sanitation services to stop the spread of the disease: “People are dying from cholera right now; hence we plead on the UN and international organisations to fund and scale up activities, particularly water and sanitation services.”
Additionally, he warned that bureaucratic red tape or humanitarian access restrictions by the warring parties could cost lives. “There is a risk of running out of essential supplies, such as cholera kits, in a moment when scaling up the response is urgently needed. We call on the authorities to fast-track and facilitate the delivery of supplies and drugs, as bureaucratic obstacles remain a major challenge,” said Katambula.
Cholera is caused by a water-borne intestinal infection. It is transmitted through contaminated food or water, or through contact with fecal matter or vomit from infected people. Cholera can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting, and can kill within hours, if not treated. But cholera is “very simple to treat,” according to MSF.
Ayin Network has produced a more detailed report about the health situation, as well as the below video.
A delegation of the World Health Organization (WHO) led by Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus visited Sudan earlier this week. They met with top government officials and inaugurated a new WHO office in Port Sudan. Additionally, the delegation visited a camp for war-displaced persons and a nutrition center supported by WHO.
During a press conference in Port Sudan, Dr. Ghebreyesus said,
“The international community has seemingly forgotten about Sudan and is paying little heed to the conflict tearing it apart, with serious repercussions for the region. That is why I have come to Sudan. I am here, with my sister Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director, to meet with the wide range of partners involved in the response, and to call for urgent and scaled up action to provide more resources, more access to humanitarian aid, and more security to health workers and the patients they serve.”
For her part, the regional director Dr. Balkhy said, "Sudan’s health infrastructure is in ruins, with many facilities destroyed, looted, or abandoned. To rebuild and stabilize the health system, there must be significant investment not only in restoring facilities but also in strengthening the health workforce."
