Page 16 - The Nile Explorer Magazine 011

areas, Sudanese living in conflict zones
attach more importance to achieving
peace and ending the marginalization of
Sudan’s peripheries.
Armed movements groups like the Sudan
Revolutionary Front (SRF), which had
fought for years against Bashir’s regime,
has always stressed that peace and
democratization must go hand in hand
if the revolution is to enable people in
the peripheries to become equal citizens
and take full part in national elections
– putting an end to long-established
forms of governance which favoured a
privileged political elite in Khartoum.
The SRF has been calling for the
constitutional declaration to be amended
before it is signed so that formation
of the transitional government can be
calibrated with the peace talks.
Even as the TMC government enters
a new era, with the Juba agreements,
its biggest challenge is the dismantling
of the Islamist state—as demanded by
the rebel movements—created and
entrenched over thirty years by the
former regime, which took control of
all state institutions and key sectors of Sudan demonstrators
the economy, including hundreds of
businesses owned by the military and toppling of Omar Al-Bashir, the structures moving forward. These
security apparatus. RSF were seen using munitions and groups were the driving force of the
Key to dismantling the deep state will be according to witnesses, opened fire at revolution but have been largely
the implementation of a comprehensive protesters, sometimes even at students. excluded from FFC decision-making
programme of security sector reform The systematic and repeated attacks bodies. Including these new social forces
aimed at establishing a professional and were orchestrated by Brigadier and other marginalized groups in the
inclusive national army and reducing the General Mohammed Hamdan Dagolo, political process will be crucial if Sudan
power of the intelligence service. commonly referred to as ‘Hemeti’, who is to transform established patterns of
Much will depend on whether it is started off as a border guard and later power and privilege, even as it makes
possible to control the RSF by reducing became a Janjaweed militia leader. peace against itself.
its funding from the Gulf states and the Currently, Hemeti continues, almost as Moreover, robust support for security
gold trade, as well as containing the usual, and has made life of civilian Prime sector reforms, as well as political and
political ambitions of its commander, Minister of Sudan, Abdalla Hamdok, economic restructuring is a priority if
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo very difficult, a clear manifestation of there is to be any prospect of democratic
(known as Hemeti), who is a powerful the military seeking to continue their transition, development and stability.
and influential will be an influential hold on state machinery. Given its size and strategic geopolitical
figure in state affairs, even in this RSF’s has a bad legacy of rape, position, the stakes in Sudan and for the
transition period. extrajudicial killings and torture extend wider region are high.
Recruiting from Chad and Niger as far beyond to Blue Nile and South The international community is willing
well as from the Janjaweed Arab militia Kordofan, having first started in Darfur, to provide the necessary support, if the
in Darfur, the RSF is an ill-disciplined marginalizing and oppressing scores of recent activities in the country by the
trans-boundary militia, which could people. US are anything to go by. Last month,
destabilize Sudan as well as the wider The RSF claim they are enforcing the Donald Trump pushed through a peace
region. As a first step, the RSF should rule of law by cracking down on illegal deal with Israel with the promised of
be withdrawn from all law enforcement immigration and trafficking explosives, lifting economic suctions imposed on
activities across Sudan. or protecting borders. Activists, the Central African country over 2
With the Sudan Uprising nearing its however, denounce the use of brute decades ago.
two-year anniversary, the country’s force against unarmed civilians and In 1993, concern for Sudan’s Islamist
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is still in displacing thousands. links with international terrorist
place using force to suppress Sudanese Another challenge for Sudan is to organizations led the U.S. government
citizens. ensure proper representation of youth to designate Sudan as a state sponsor
Throughout the revolution, which and women in the new governance of terrorism. As such, Sudan is subject
started in December 2018 and led to

16 | The Nile Explorer 011