Ambassador Alam Brohi describes the untenable
situation in Sudan
Sudan, once the largest Muslim country, has gone through long spells of military rule, hunger, rebellion, and disintegration. However, the current situation in the country is perilous over-casting the very future of the country with a long coastline of 750 kilometers on the Red Sea and one of the busiest Seaports in Middle East and Africa. It disintegrated into states in July 2011 with the South Sudan emerging as an independent state after decades of civil war.
Sudan began its mirthful journey as a sovereign and independent country in January 1956. It was under the joint protectorate of British imperialists and Egypt. The colonial powers appointed a three-member Commission representing Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan in 1955 to oversee the orderly transfer of power in the country and its Pakistani Member, Mian Ziauddin hailed from Peshawar. General elections were held in Sudan creating a parliament which elected Ismail Al-Azhari as the Prime Minister in January 1956. He declared independence and the colonial states immediately recognised it.
The new government had formidable tasks ahead. It had to frame a unanimous Constitution, and had to address the reservations of the South Sudanese who felt secure under British rule and were clamouring for full share in the power under George Garang. We may recall, the South Sudan was overwhelmingly Christian. The multi-political party politics in the North was also creating hurdles for the new government. Taking advantage of the political instability, General Ibrahim Al-Aboud captured power in 1958. He relinquished power in 1964 after intense public protests. Elections were held and a coalition government was installed. After five years, in 1969 Colonel Jaffar Nimairy took over. In 1985, General Abdul Rehman dethroned General Nimairy and held general elections and handed over power to a civilian dispensation under Sadiq Al-Mahdi in 1986.
After three years, Brigadier Omar Al-Bashir took over as the new leader of the country and remained in power for 30 years. He was dethroned and arrested by his military in 2019. In all the country was ruled by the military for 54 years since its independence. Brigadier General Omar Al Bashir took over in connivance with the political Islamists like Sheikh Hassan Turabi. There has been a historic nexus between Ikhwanul Muslimin, founded by Hassan Al Bana back in 1928 and the Sudanese political Islamists led by National Islamic Congress of Hassan Turabi. General Omar introduced Sharia laws at the instigation of Hassan Turabi. The power has its own dynamics. Sheikh Hassan Turabi and General Omar Bashir developed differences in 2001 which resulted in the incarceration of the Shaikh, then Speaker of the Majlis-e-Shura or the parliament. Omar ruled the country with an iron hand. Autocracy was at its zenith. The small tribal regions like Darfur, Blue Nile State and Kurdafan didn’t have any say in the governing structures based on the military power. The intermittent and infrequent insurgencies morphed into an armed resistance in Darfur. The Justice and Equality Party continued this armed resistance under its militant wing. They had established control on the Nyala city at a distance of 120 kilometers from Al-Fashir where the UN Headquarter was located.
The Sudanese military established a militia “Janjaweed” (a man with horse and sword) and armed it to the teeth to fight its proxy war with the rebels in Darfur in 2003. This was not a new idea. The Armies in all countries create their proxy militias to fight their wars. The earlier commander of the Janjaweed, Malik Agar was known as butcher of Blue Nile State. Later, he was appointed as the Governor of this State where about 2,000 peace keepers of Pakistan Army under the command of Colonel Anjum were stationed in its capital city Al-Damazin. Agar was succeeded as commander of Janjaweed by the young and ambitious Muhammad Hamdan Daglo known as Hameeti. President Omar Al Bashir was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court on the basis of the crimes perpetrated by the Janjaweed in Darfur and Blue Nile States. The atrocities of Janjaweed continued unabated. The International Human Rights Commissions had also held it responsible for the massacres in Darfur in 2014 and 2015. Al-Hamdan Daglo has been also involved in massive plunder of national resources through many of his front companies particularly – the Al Junaid. His brothers are also reported to have established their companies amassing wealth. Al-Hamdan Daglo is rated as one of the most wealthy and powerful man in Sudan. The Janjaweed was converted into Rapid Support Force (RSF) by the military in 2013. It was in league with the military in removing its erstwhile patron, Omar Al-Bashir from power in 2019. Al Hamdan emerged as one of the most powerful members of the ruling Interim Military Council. While the Army Chief General Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan took over as Chairman of the Interim Council, Mr. Al-Hamdan was appointed as its Deputy Chairman. The RSF is held responsible for the massacre in Khartoum after the coup d’état.
While the military considered RSF as an auxiliary, it had already become a monster to reckon with. It was in a position to challenge the military as the sole arbiter of power. However, there was public pressure to put the country on the democratic track. Under this pressure, the Military Council was converted into the Sudan Sovereign Council sharing power with the civilians. An economist, Abdullah Hamduk was appointed as the Prime Minister of the Interim dispensation which was tasked to frame the new Constitution, hold elections and hand over power to elected representatives within three years in 2022.The military does not go back to barracks after tasting power. The Interim Prime Minister was arrested in 2022, and was soon released and restored under public pressure. But he resigned and went home.
In the meantime, the plan of merger of the RSF into the Sudan Army came under consideration. The Army Chief General Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan wanted to complete the process within two years whereas Al-Hamdan wanted 10 years for the merger. Their rivalry for power came to surface. The differences intensified. No commander wanted to step back. The RSF had trained manpower, weapons and wealth. Al Hamdan’s business enterprises had become wealth amassing agencies. Over two decades, he had established good relations with many countries too. He finally challenged the Sudanese military and a full war ensued. Under his command, the RSF tried to control the Khartoum as well as the Meroe International Airports – located at a distance of 350 kilometers from Khartoum. This Airport was constructed by Saudi Arabia in the Meroe region where it has leased 250,000 acres of land in the wake of the completion of the Meroe Dam in 2010. The Saudi Arabia brokered ceasefire between the warring troops but frequent violations have dampened hopes for peace and stability. The Janjaweed created in 2003 to crush the armed rebellion in Darfur has brought the civil war to the peaceful city of Khartoum. Until 2019, Khartoum was the crime free capital.
The long spells of military rule; the military’s well entrenched political and commercial interests; the political and religious divide among the political leadership; the uneven distribution of national resources; the continuous political and financial neglect of certain regions all conspired together to deprive this wonderful country of democracy, human rights, transparent and clean political administrations. This is how the democracy and representative rule has remained a distant dream of our Sudanese brethren. We have almost a similar history. The full-fledged war in the third largest Muslim and African country with this long coastline of Red Sea and one of the busiest Seaports (catering for 10% of the world trade) would have serious implications for the region and destabilise the countries in the North and Sub Saharan Africa. Many African countries including Angola, Congo, Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan have already gone through insurgencies and civil strife of serious implications. The continent cannot afford to have another destabilising civil war. The Weekender
Sudan – A Sad Example Of Misrule
ByAlam Brohi
A former Ambassador of Pakistan and was associated with Foreign Service of Pakistan
Dated
June 17, 2023
Ambassador Alam Brohi describes the untenable
situation in Sudan
Sudan, once the largest Muslim country, has gone through long spells of military rule, hunger, rebellion, and disintegration. However, the current situation in the country is perilous over-casting the very future of the country with a long coastline of 750 kilometers on the Red Sea and one of the busiest Seaports in Middle East and Africa. It disintegrated into states in July 2011 with the South Sudan emerging as an independent state after decades of civil war.
Sudan began its mirthful journey as a sovereign and independent country in January 1956. It was under the joint protectorate of British imperialists and Egypt. The colonial powers appointed a three-member Commission representing Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan in 1955 to oversee the orderly transfer of power in the country and its Pakistani Member, Mian Ziauddin hailed from Peshawar. General elections were held in Sudan creating a parliament which elected Ismail Al-Azhari as the Prime Minister in January 1956. He declared independence and the colonial states immediately recognised it.
The new government had formidable tasks ahead. It had to frame a unanimous Constitution, and had to address the reservations of the South Sudanese who felt secure under British rule and were clamouring for full share in the power under George Garang. We may recall, the South Sudan was overwhelmingly Christian. The multi-political party politics in the North was also creating hurdles for the new government. Taking advantage of the political instability, General Ibrahim Al-Aboud captured power in 1958. He relinquished power in 1964 after intense public protests. Elections were held and a coalition government was installed. After five years, in 1969 Colonel Jaffar Nimairy took over. In 1985, General Abdul Rehman dethroned General Nimairy and held general elections and handed over power to a civilian dispensation under Sadiq Al-Mahdi in 1986.
After three years, Brigadier Omar Al-Bashir took over as the new leader of the country and remained in power for 30 years. He was dethroned and arrested by his military in 2019. In all the country was ruled by the military for 54 years since its independence. Brigadier General Omar Al Bashir took over in connivance with the political Islamists like Sheikh Hassan Turabi. There has been a historic nexus between Ikhwanul Muslimin, founded by Hassan Al Bana back in 1928 and the Sudanese political Islamists led by National Islamic Congress of Hassan Turabi. General Omar introduced Sharia laws at the instigation of Hassan Turabi. The power has its own dynamics. Sheikh Hassan Turabi and General Omar Bashir developed differences in 2001 which resulted in the incarceration of the Shaikh, then Speaker of the Majlis-e-Shura or the parliament. Omar ruled the country with an iron hand. Autocracy was at its zenith. The small tribal regions like Darfur, Blue Nile State and Kurdafan didn’t have any say in the governing structures based on the military power. The intermittent and infrequent insurgencies morphed into an armed resistance in Darfur. The Justice and Equality Party continued this armed resistance under its militant wing. They had established control on the Nyala city at a distance of 120 kilometers from Al-Fashir where the UN Headquarter was located.
The Sudanese military established a militia “Janjaweed” (a man with horse and sword) and armed it to the teeth to fight its proxy war with the rebels in Darfur in 2003. This was not a new idea. The Armies in all countries create their proxy militias to fight their wars. The earlier commander of the Janjaweed, Malik Agar was known as butcher of Blue Nile State. Later, he was appointed as the Governor of this State where about 2,000 peace keepers of Pakistan Army under the command of Colonel Anjum were stationed in its capital city Al-Damazin. Agar was succeeded as commander of Janjaweed by the young and ambitious Muhammad Hamdan Daglo known as Hameeti. President Omar Al Bashir was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court on the basis of the crimes perpetrated by the Janjaweed in Darfur and Blue Nile States. The atrocities of Janjaweed continued unabated. The International Human Rights Commissions had also held it responsible for the massacres in Darfur in 2014 and 2015. Al-Hamdan Daglo has been also involved in massive plunder of national resources through many of his front companies particularly – the Al Junaid. His brothers are also reported to have established their companies amassing wealth. Al-Hamdan Daglo is rated as one of the most wealthy and powerful man in Sudan. The Janjaweed was converted into Rapid Support Force (RSF) by the military in 2013. It was in league with the military in removing its erstwhile patron, Omar Al-Bashir from power in 2019. Al Hamdan emerged as one of the most powerful members of the ruling Interim Military Council. While the Army Chief General Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan took over as Chairman of the Interim Council, Mr. Al-Hamdan was appointed as its Deputy Chairman. The RSF is held responsible for the massacre in Khartoum after the coup d’état.
While the military considered RSF as an auxiliary, it had already become a monster to reckon with. It was in a position to challenge the military as the sole arbiter of power. However, there was public pressure to put the country on the democratic track. Under this pressure, the Military Council was converted into the Sudan Sovereign Council sharing power with the civilians. An economist, Abdullah Hamduk was appointed as the Prime Minister of the Interim dispensation which was tasked to frame the new Constitution, hold elections and hand over power to elected representatives within three years in 2022.The military does not go back to barracks after tasting power. The Interim Prime Minister was arrested in 2022, and was soon released and restored under public pressure. But he resigned and went home.
In the meantime, the plan of merger of the RSF into the Sudan Army came under consideration. The Army Chief General Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan wanted to complete the process within two years whereas Al-Hamdan wanted 10 years for the merger. Their rivalry for power came to surface. The differences intensified. No commander wanted to step back. The RSF had trained manpower, weapons and wealth. Al Hamdan’s business enterprises had become wealth amassing agencies. Over two decades, he had established good relations with many countries too. He finally challenged the Sudanese military and a full war ensued. Under his command, the RSF tried to control the Khartoum as well as the Meroe International Airports – located at a distance of 350 kilometers from Khartoum. This Airport was constructed by Saudi Arabia in the Meroe region where it has leased 250,000 acres of land in the wake of the completion of the Meroe Dam in 2010. The Saudi Arabia brokered ceasefire between the warring troops but frequent violations have dampened hopes for peace and stability. The Janjaweed created in 2003 to crush the armed rebellion in Darfur has brought the civil war to the peaceful city of Khartoum. Until 2019, Khartoum was the crime free capital.
The long spells of military rule; the military’s well entrenched political and commercial interests; the political and religious divide among the political leadership; the uneven distribution of national resources; the continuous political and financial neglect of certain regions all conspired together to deprive this wonderful country of democracy, human rights, transparent and clean political administrations. This is how the democracy and representative rule has remained a distant dream of our Sudanese brethren. We have almost a similar history. The full-fledged war in the third largest Muslim and African country with this long coastline of Red Sea and one of the busiest Seaports (catering for 10% of the world trade) would have serious implications for the region and destabilise the countries in the North and Sub Saharan Africa. Many African countries including Angola, Congo, Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan have already gone through insurgencies and civil strife of serious implications. The continent cannot afford to have another destabilising civil war. The Weekender
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